Subsonic Radio

This summer WDW is testing a new electric bus. The initial route is expected to be on the Fort Wilderness Resort internal loop for guests, and backstage at Epcot for cast members. Disney has been updating their bus fleet this year with increased capacity buses, the bus loop at MK, and the paint scheme.

Hopefully this test goes well.

I find this REALLY exciting! Buses, even when new and operating well, are so noisy and emit such dirty exhaust! Electric vehicles are nice and quiet, which makes them a GREAT addition for Ft. Wilderness! Not to mention the significantly reduced amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere when they're used. This is a great application for a dedicated electric vehicle as range isn't an issue. Batteries getting low? Go back to the garage and plug in and take out a different, fully charged, vehicle. Shazam!

I wonder how easy this would be to expand on...since the buses probably travel miles upon miles upon miles every shift. Because of the lower speeds and frequent stops...the benefits of electricity are high. I just wonder if the size and how critical the timing of the routes are would keep current technology from being feasible.

It's great that they are testing this out though.

Does WDW not use natural gas for their transportation? I know the trams at DLR have been using LNG or Propane since about 2000. Probably a good move considering how much fuel prices have jumped.

Wizzard419 wrote:Does WDW not use natural gas for their transportation? I know the trams at DLR have been using LNG or Propane since about 2000. Probably a good move considering how much fuel prices have jumped.

They smelled pretty diesel-ly to me. Some might be LNG or CNG but I doubt it.

The nice thing about electric is if they have a regenerative braking system, the energy from the brakes can actually be used to recharge the battery.

This pretty neat ~

cy1229 wrote:The nice thing about electric is if they have a regenerative braking system, the energy from the brakes can actually be used to recharge the battery.

Yes, but laws of energy say you'll never get as much back as what it took to make it go. My thought with this is that even with some mega batteries, it's just not going to be enough. In addition to powering all that weight, the battery would have to run all the A/C - 'cause you ain't having a bus in Florida without A/C. With the short range of today's small electric vehicles, how long could a bus run? And how long would it take to recharge all that power?

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the technology's not there yet to make this practical.

BenB wrote:

cy1229 wrote:The nice thing about electric is if they have a regenerative braking system, the energy from the brakes can actually be used to recharge the battery.

Yes, but laws of energy say you'll never get as much back as what it took to make it go. My thought with this is that even with some mega batteries, it's just not going to be enough. In addition to powering all that weight, the battery would have to run all the A/C - 'cause you ain't having a bus in Florida without A/C. With the short range of today's small electric vehicles, how long could a bus run? And how long would it take to recharge all that power?

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the technology's not there yet to make this practical.

Respectfully, I submit that you are misinformed.

If, as you seem to be assuming, a bus has the same size battery system as is found on a regular passenger car, then yes, it would run out of power very quickly. But if you take out all the mechanical workings that involve the huge diesel engine and all its other parts, and replace all that space with a large battery system, you'll have a lot of power.

There is no single energy system that is 100% efficient, or meets all needs of all situations all of the time. But one of the biggest issues with buses that run routes is the pollution they expel at the loading and unloading areas as they idle in place. Kentucky just wrapped up three years of subsidizing hybrid school buses for districts there, with FANTASTIC results in eastern Kentucky in the mountains. The regenerative braking systems reduced brake maintenance from at least one complete brake job per year, to not needing new brakes after three years (and counting). That wasted energy went into recharging the battery. Yes, not at 100%, but definitely better than just letting that energy dissipate as thermal loss.

Fleet vehicles like these are a FANTASTIC application of all-electric technology because they don't travel very far from the maintenance facility, and the worst-case scenario is another vehicle is driven to the disabled one and passengers are transferred.

From what I have been reading, this is the bus that they are testing:

http://www.proterra.com/index.php/products

I wonder if they could put solar panels on the top of the buses to help with powering the A/C...based on the diagram you linked. With as much sun as they get in Orlando...you would think that would more than cover what is needed to keep the A/C running. When there is little to no sun...you'd just use the battery reserve.

theBIGyowski wrote:I wonder if they could put solar panels on the top of the buses to help with powering the A/C...based on the diagram you linked. With as much sun as they get in Orlando...you would think that would more than cover what is needed to keep the A/C running. When there is little to no sun...you'd just use the battery reserve.

I'm guessing with that "alignment scoop" and that the charging connection is on the top, that solar panels aren't practical right there, at least given current commercially available technology. Solar panels are pretty brittle and heavy. However, with the newer materials being researched, thin-film and organic PV technologies might be completely viable for this kind of application, especially if they can handle a bump in the night and/or be easily replaced if they become damaged. But, it's a GREAT idea in theory, that I hope will be pursued.

and of course any money saved by TDO via fuel savings will be passed along to the consumers right?

theBIGyowski wrote:and of course any money saved by TDO via fuel savings will be passed along to the consumers right?

Im sure it will

I can't believe Len hasn't commented on this! lol Isn't he mister Disney transportation??

theBIGyowski wrote:and of course any money saved by TDO via fuel savings will be passed along to the consumers right?

Because electric vehicles are so cheap?