Emes, MR; Smith, A; Bucknall, R; Tyler, N; Westcott, P; Broatch, S; (2009) Modelling the costs and benefits of hybrid buses from a whole-life perspective. In: Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference on Systems Engineering Research 2009 (CSER 2009). CSER

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Abstract

Hybrid electric-diesel engine technologies offer the potential to reduce fuel consumption in buses by around 40%. These savings can largely be attributed to regenerative braking – the ability to store in a battery energy that would otherwise have been lost under braking. Lower fuel consumption makes sense economically for bus operators through reduced running costs; hybrid engines have other wider benefits, though, such as reducing emissions and noise, and providing smoother acceleration and braking. The costs associated with hybrid technologies are significant, however, with hybrid vehicles currently costing around 50% more to buy than conventional buses. With Alexander Dennis and BAE Systems, UCL is conducting a three-year systems engineering research and development project to adapt and optimise hybrid buses for the UK and European market. This paper investigates one aspect of this project – the costs and benefits of introducing hybrid bus technologies from a whole-life perspective. We find that fuel and emissions savings alone do not provide a compelling case for hybrid buses based on current prices. However, as the cost of fuel rises, and when the social and environmental impacts of motor vehicle use are better accounted for, hybrid technology outperforms conventional diesel technology.

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