Fine pollutants inside buses twice WHO limit, study finds
Saturday, 13 October, 2012
Jolie Ho
jolie.ho@scmp.com
Fine pollutants inside buses twice WHO limit, study finds
People on Hong Kong buses are breathing air containing twice the level of fine pollutants as that deemed safe by the World Health Organisation, an environmental group said yesterday.
http://www.facebook.com/greenbuses
Friends of the Earth conducted tests in June and July, and found the average level of PM2.5 particles - those 2.5 microns or less in diameter - in buses on 13 routes was 53.11 micrograms per cubic metre. The WHO calls for a limit of 25.
Such particles are roughly 1/28th the thickness of a human hair and because they are so fine, can lodge deep in the lungs. Some respirable suspended particles can cause cancer.
Melonie Chau Yuet-cheung, senior environmental officer of Friends of the Earth, said such high levels of PM2.5 were a serious health threat to the passengers and drivers. "There is a perception problem. People think that entering a bus is like entering a protected area, comparatively safer [than on a polluted roadway], but that is not the case," Chau said.
The PM2.5 levels in buses were about the same as on the roadside because the vehicles' ventilation systems did not filter out fine particles, she said.
The study was limited to franchised buses, and so excluded minibuses. Buses on each route were tested at least four times to get a reliable average reading.
The highest level recorded was in a bus on Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay - 171 microns per cubic metre - on Citybus route 5.
Dr Wong Tze-wai, a professor in occupational and environmental health at Chinese University, said: "These suspended particles can bypass the normal defence mechanism of the human body. They do not exist in nature … so they cannot be captured [by the fine hair and mucus in our lungs]."
Wong said US studies had linked fine particles to elevated death rates from lung cancer.
Kowloon Motor Bus said new buses were being equipped with electronic static filters, which can block PM2.5. By last month, 1,350 of its 3,900 buses had the filters. Citybus could not be reached for comment.
The government has not set a limit for PM2.5.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Hong Kong must fast-track switch to electric buses
HK must fast-track switch to electric buses
Thomas London says Hong Kong is overlooking a ready-made opportunity to improve air quality - it should catch up with the latest technology in electric buses being developed and produced over the border
AIR QUALITY
Aug 13, 2012
SCMP
http://www.facebook.com/electricbus
Hong Kong has recently experienced record-breaking smog levels. The Environmental Protection Department said that roadside pollution in 2011 was the worst on record.
Clear the Air, a local non-governmental organisation working for improved air quality, reports that the city's greenhouse-gas emissions have jumped 14 per cent from 1990 to 2005 and that vehicles are the second greatest contributor to air pollution. The Hedley Environmental Index estimates that this past month's pollution will mean 154 premature deaths in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is unusual among developed-world cities both in the poor quality of its air and the many easy opportunities to cut pollution. Replacing the city's ageing diesel-powered bus fleet with electric buses would effectively cut vehicular emissions, improve air quality and alleviate subsequent health complications. Hong Kong's solution for where to source such a vehicle lies just across the border.
Mainland China has prioritised the development of electric and hybrid vehicles in response to its growing dependence on foreign oil. The government announced annual subsidies of up to 2 billion yuan (HK$2.5 billion) for fuel-saving vehicles, including electrics and hybrids, in an attempt to foster growth in the industry and eventually put five million alternative energy vehicles on Chinese streets by 2020. Hong Kong can benefit from this initiative, utilising the funds used to develop the mainland's electric vehicle industry.
Shenzhen's BYD, the company famed for being one of the world's largest rechargeable battery manufacturers and winning financial backing from Warren Buffett, released an all-electric bus this past year.
The K9 is fuelled by both solar power and a rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery - one three-hour charge gives the bus a 250-kilometre range in urban settings.
This vehicle is fully capable of handling the routes and distances covered by the current bus fleet and would immediately minimise carbon emissions and noise pollution.
The Hong Kong government has acknowledged the potential of integrating electric vehicles, establishing a benchmark to make 30 per cent of private vehicles either hybrids or fully electric by 2020. The Transport Department is considering deploying electric buses from Kowloon Motor Bus. However, the vehicle's range is a minuscule 10 kilometres, meaning these buses cannot be used on regular routes.
Money is not an issue. Last financial year, the government amassed a budget surplus of more than HK$73 billion. In fact, initial funding to implement the switch to public electric buses had been previously allocated. Leung Chun-ying's predecessor, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, prioritised an electric bus fleet, setting aside HK$180 million for the transition during his final policy address as chief executive. Furthermore, the Pilot Green Transport Fund has set aside HK$300 million to promote more sustainable transport solutions.
Many regions already recognise the benefits of operating all-electric public buses. Governments in Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Amsterdam and Ontario are all slated to integrate the K9 into their transport systems.
Chinese cities, including Changsha, Shaoguan, Xian and most notably Shenzhen, have effectively put the bus through its paces. The fleets have collectively travelled over five million kilometres without major incident. The K9 is ready for Hong Kong.
Partnering with BYD would strengthen Hong Kong's ties with mainland Chinese businesses and neighbouring Shenzhen. If successful, the partnership would encourage other mainland companies to invest and develop for the Hong Kong market. It may even boost public sentiment towards the ability of the Chinese private sector to benefit Hong Kong.
The new bus fleet would serve as an example of Chinese innovation and cutting-edge technology, a notion that too many dismiss as non-existent.
The Leung administration could use a political victory. Leung has the opportunity to illustrate his commitment to the city's health and long-term sustainability while facing what one would assume to be little political opposition. Introducing the new fleet would promote Hong Kong as a modern, forward-thinking city. In short, pursuing this initiative would provide a much-needed easy win for the administration.
Hong Kong has a unique chance to illustrate its commitment to green technology and sustainability. Few cities are as fortunate to have a massive budget surplus, close economic ties with the world's largest exporter, and new political leadership eager to improve its reputation. Even fewer are presented with a simple way to address one of its most significant problems.
Hong Kong must introduce electric buses to abate roadside pollution and overall emissions. Get smoggy diesel buses off the road now so that Hong Kong's people can once again smell the scent of Asia's most fragrant harbour.
Thomas London is a Princeton-in-Asia fellow at the Asia Business Council
Thomas London says Hong Kong is overlooking a ready-made opportunity to improve air quality - it should catch up with the latest technology in electric buses being developed and produced over the border
AIR QUALITY
Aug 13, 2012
SCMP
http://www.facebook.com/electricbus
Hong Kong has recently experienced record-breaking smog levels. The Environmental Protection Department said that roadside pollution in 2011 was the worst on record.
Clear the Air, a local non-governmental organisation working for improved air quality, reports that the city's greenhouse-gas emissions have jumped 14 per cent from 1990 to 2005 and that vehicles are the second greatest contributor to air pollution. The Hedley Environmental Index estimates that this past month's pollution will mean 154 premature deaths in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is unusual among developed-world cities both in the poor quality of its air and the many easy opportunities to cut pollution. Replacing the city's ageing diesel-powered bus fleet with electric buses would effectively cut vehicular emissions, improve air quality and alleviate subsequent health complications. Hong Kong's solution for where to source such a vehicle lies just across the border.
Mainland China has prioritised the development of electric and hybrid vehicles in response to its growing dependence on foreign oil. The government announced annual subsidies of up to 2 billion yuan (HK$2.5 billion) for fuel-saving vehicles, including electrics and hybrids, in an attempt to foster growth in the industry and eventually put five million alternative energy vehicles on Chinese streets by 2020. Hong Kong can benefit from this initiative, utilising the funds used to develop the mainland's electric vehicle industry.
Shenzhen's BYD, the company famed for being one of the world's largest rechargeable battery manufacturers and winning financial backing from Warren Buffett, released an all-electric bus this past year.
The K9 is fuelled by both solar power and a rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery - one three-hour charge gives the bus a 250-kilometre range in urban settings.
This vehicle is fully capable of handling the routes and distances covered by the current bus fleet and would immediately minimise carbon emissions and noise pollution.
The Hong Kong government has acknowledged the potential of integrating electric vehicles, establishing a benchmark to make 30 per cent of private vehicles either hybrids or fully electric by 2020. The Transport Department is considering deploying electric buses from Kowloon Motor Bus. However, the vehicle's range is a minuscule 10 kilometres, meaning these buses cannot be used on regular routes.
Money is not an issue. Last financial year, the government amassed a budget surplus of more than HK$73 billion. In fact, initial funding to implement the switch to public electric buses had been previously allocated. Leung Chun-ying's predecessor, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, prioritised an electric bus fleet, setting aside HK$180 million for the transition during his final policy address as chief executive. Furthermore, the Pilot Green Transport Fund has set aside HK$300 million to promote more sustainable transport solutions.
Many regions already recognise the benefits of operating all-electric public buses. Governments in Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Amsterdam and Ontario are all slated to integrate the K9 into their transport systems.
Chinese cities, including Changsha, Shaoguan, Xian and most notably Shenzhen, have effectively put the bus through its paces. The fleets have collectively travelled over five million kilometres without major incident. The K9 is ready for Hong Kong.
Partnering with BYD would strengthen Hong Kong's ties with mainland Chinese businesses and neighbouring Shenzhen. If successful, the partnership would encourage other mainland companies to invest and develop for the Hong Kong market. It may even boost public sentiment towards the ability of the Chinese private sector to benefit Hong Kong.
The new bus fleet would serve as an example of Chinese innovation and cutting-edge technology, a notion that too many dismiss as non-existent.
The Leung administration could use a political victory. Leung has the opportunity to illustrate his commitment to the city's health and long-term sustainability while facing what one would assume to be little political opposition. Introducing the new fleet would promote Hong Kong as a modern, forward-thinking city. In short, pursuing this initiative would provide a much-needed easy win for the administration.
Hong Kong has a unique chance to illustrate its commitment to green technology and sustainability. Few cities are as fortunate to have a massive budget surplus, close economic ties with the world's largest exporter, and new political leadership eager to improve its reputation. Even fewer are presented with a simple way to address one of its most significant problems.
Hong Kong must introduce electric buses to abate roadside pollution and overall emissions. Get smoggy diesel buses off the road now so that Hong Kong's people can once again smell the scent of Asia's most fragrant harbour.
Thomas London is a Princeton-in-Asia fellow at the Asia Business Council
Friday, March 23, 2012
On the road to the e-bus, BYD & Great Dragon electric buses
On the road to the e-bus
Hong Kong, with a wide range of terrain, represents a steep challenge for two mainland-based companies hoping to develop electric buses suitable for the city
Cheung Chi-fai, SCMP
Mar 23, 2012
http://www.facebook.com/electricbus
There's still a long way to go towards eliminating Hong Kong's air pollution but two mainland-based makers of electric buses are about to take the city further along the road towards blue skies.
BYD, backed by US investment expert Warren Buffet, and fast-growing Great Dragon - a joint venture between mainland bus maker Yixing and Global Electric Vehicles, owned by locally-listed Dah Chong Hong - have shown keen interest in developing vehicles suitable for Hong Kong.
They believe the city is ideal for developing right-hand-drive vehicles for sale in larger markets such as Britain, Australia and India.
Both companies are set to test-drive pilot vehicles designed with Hong Kong's conditions in mind - more than 10 years after disappointing results from plans to introduce electrically powered vehicles in a city choking on its exhaust fumes.
"We are going to make a perfect bus for the Hong Kong market," said Paul Lin for BYD, which is carrying out commissioning tests on a bus assembled at its Changsha production plant.
Raymond Lo Yuk-shun, Great Dragon's managing director, said tailoring electric buses to a specific locale was the key to capturing the Hong Kong bus market. "You just can't have one design to meet all the needs. You have to fine-tune each bus for special needs."
In 2001, some 14-seat electric minibuses were tested for six months, along with minibuses running on liquified petroleum gas. The electric buses were badly outperformed by the latter. They couldn't travel as far, were difficult to charge, spluttered going uphill and were expensive to maintain.
Two years later, an estate at Ma Wan introduced an electric single-decker bus for its shuttle service. Three of the buses were retired within two years, and the last one in 2010. The buses were said to run inefficiently and most of the time were sidelined for maintenance.
Not only must an electric bus meet legal requirements - technical and safety standards governed by road-traffic regulations - but it must suit Hong Kong's operating environment. And it must be reliable enough to transport millions of commuters every day.
One of the biggest concerns with electric buses is their range, which is often limited by the size and efficiency of batteries and the availability of recharging facilities.
With a fully charged battery an electric bus' usual range is between 200 and 300 kilometres, which approaches the average daily travelling range of each of the city's three franchised bus operators - Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB), New World First Bus (NWFB) and City Bus - who operate about 5,800 of the 13,000 buses in Hong Kong.
In 2010, the vehicles of the three bus firms travelled a total of 440 million kilometres. This means that, assuming 90 per cent of the fleet was used at all times, the daily average travelling range of each of these 5,800 buses was around 230 kilometres (KMB 246 kilometres, NWFB 205 kilometres City Bus 253 kilometres).
In reality, the terrain can vary tremendously depending on the routes, making the suitability of electric buses much more complicated.
For example, with a driving range of about 200 kilometres, an electric bus can handle 87 trips without recharging on KMB's short 71B route, which runs about 2.3 kilometres within Tai Po new town.
But a similar bus could only make four trips on KMB's longest route, a 50-kilometre trip from Fanling to Wan Chai.
Driving range is just one consideration. Climbing power is the weakest link for electric buses - making Hong Kong a steep challenge.
"Forget about getting up to The Peak on an electric bus for the moment," said Lo. "The battery can barely support the vehicle to finish the trip.
"Even if it can, the bus might need power replenishment right away at a terminus."
A complete transition to electric buses in Hong Kong could take years. Until then, Lo predicts, the city's streets would see a mix of power sources for buses.
"It will still take us a long time to replace these buses, perhaps 10 to 20 years, I don't know," he said. "But this is going to happen sooner or later, when technology advances could lower the battery weight by as much as half."
Apart from right-hand drive, Lo said, electric buses for Hong Kong would require larger batteries and motors than those for the mainland. They'll need greater power to handle the hills, high volume of passengers and need for air conditioning.
http://www.facebook.com/greenbuses
But a larger battery could mean fewer seats or a small luggage area, because the weight of the bus must not exceed the legal standard of 16 tonnes for a single decker - a rule that might have to be relaxed in the long term.
Where and how the battery cells are installed in a bus is another concern, because Hong Kong buses have to pass a tilt test - no flipping when tilted sideways at up to 35 degrees. Improper battery location might be dangerous.
Chinese University, located on top of a hill off Ma Liu Shui, is planning to introduce two electric buses under the city's pilot Green Transport Fund, set up to support the testing of green and innovative technologies for public transport and goods vehicles.
The university is getting a crash course in the vehicles' pluses and minuses.
"The ability to climb is a very crucial factor in selecting an electric bus," said Joseph Chan Ping-tak, the university's environmental sustainability manager. But that strong climbing power and better driving range might come at the expense of passenger capacity and even the provision of air conditioning.
"We hope we don't have to make such a trade-off since we are not sure if the bus will be designed in a way that the windows can actually be opened," Chan said,
http://www.facebook.com/openable1
adding that none of the 14 diesel-run buses they have now were equipped with air conditioning. On average each bus can pack in as many as 60 students, mostly standing.
Great Dragon is now going full steam ahead to develop and build 16 electric single-decker buses early next year for trials by organisations awarded subsidies under the Hong Kong government's Green Transport Fund.
The procurement has yet to be determined after a public tender, but Lo is confident of winning its bid. "We believe we are at least three to five years ahead of our rivals," he said.
One likely rival is BYD, which signed a memorandum with KMB to supply an electric bus for trials that were to start late last year, but were then postponed to allow more time to develop the vehicles.
Lin denied that the early move was a public relations ploy for BYD, which has been plagued by plunging sales on the mainland for its electric cars. "It makes no sense to develop a right-hand-drive bus in a left-hand-drive market, and that's why we think the Hong Kong market is very important to us. This is definitely not a public relations war," Lin said.
KMB is also looking at another technology - a super-capacitor bus used at the World Expo in Shanghai. This bus doesn't need a huge battery and has a small travelling range of only 50 kilometres when fully charged. But, by using a pantograph - an extendable mechanical link - on the bus roof, it can be recharged every time it stops at a bus stop equipped with an overhanging power cable. A 30-second charge is said to provide power to go one kilometre.
The bus, nicknamed gBus, has been tested by KMB for internal use since 2010. While the bus firm said the test was satisfactory, it plans to introduce another prototype with a longer range within this year. And the company also plans to test battery-driven buses and hybrids.
KMB would check vehicles' power consumption over different terrain, in loading conditions and in different weather, a company spokeswoman said.
Lo said super-capacitor technology had some problems that need to be addressed. "What if there is a serious traffic jam and the buses run out of power and the air conditioning stops?" he said.
"It might also need a larger charging station, and a strong voltage power cable might not be welcomed by residents living close to the bus stops."
KMB said the gBus could have sufficient power to maintain 30 minutes of air conditioning if it was stuck in traffic.
Lo said the West Kowloon arts hub might be an ideal spot for these buses because of the flat spaces and short distances.
Electric-bus makers are not the only ones revving up for more business. Traditional bus makers are devising greener vehicles, too - including diesel-electric hybrids.
Both Alexander Dennis and Volvo have rolled out these new-generation buses in Europe, especially in London, where the Olympic Games this year will boost green city transport.
These makers believe the hybrid buses, being so similar to current buses, offer plenty of advantages over electric powered vehicles.
"It is well recognised that given the limited road space and high passenger volumes, Hong Kong needs double-deck buses. This represents an even greater challenge in the context of an electric vehicle," said a spokesman for bus maker Alexander Dennis in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong, with a wide range of terrain, represents a steep challenge for two mainland-based companies hoping to develop electric buses suitable for the city
Cheung Chi-fai, SCMP
Mar 23, 2012
http://www.facebook.com/electricbus
There's still a long way to go towards eliminating Hong Kong's air pollution but two mainland-based makers of electric buses are about to take the city further along the road towards blue skies.
BYD, backed by US investment expert Warren Buffet, and fast-growing Great Dragon - a joint venture between mainland bus maker Yixing and Global Electric Vehicles, owned by locally-listed Dah Chong Hong - have shown keen interest in developing vehicles suitable for Hong Kong.
They believe the city is ideal for developing right-hand-drive vehicles for sale in larger markets such as Britain, Australia and India.
Both companies are set to test-drive pilot vehicles designed with Hong Kong's conditions in mind - more than 10 years after disappointing results from plans to introduce electrically powered vehicles in a city choking on its exhaust fumes.
"We are going to make a perfect bus for the Hong Kong market," said Paul Lin for BYD, which is carrying out commissioning tests on a bus assembled at its Changsha production plant.
Raymond Lo Yuk-shun, Great Dragon's managing director, said tailoring electric buses to a specific locale was the key to capturing the Hong Kong bus market. "You just can't have one design to meet all the needs. You have to fine-tune each bus for special needs."
In 2001, some 14-seat electric minibuses were tested for six months, along with minibuses running on liquified petroleum gas. The electric buses were badly outperformed by the latter. They couldn't travel as far, were difficult to charge, spluttered going uphill and were expensive to maintain.
Two years later, an estate at Ma Wan introduced an electric single-decker bus for its shuttle service. Three of the buses were retired within two years, and the last one in 2010. The buses were said to run inefficiently and most of the time were sidelined for maintenance.
Not only must an electric bus meet legal requirements - technical and safety standards governed by road-traffic regulations - but it must suit Hong Kong's operating environment. And it must be reliable enough to transport millions of commuters every day.
One of the biggest concerns with electric buses is their range, which is often limited by the size and efficiency of batteries and the availability of recharging facilities.
With a fully charged battery an electric bus' usual range is between 200 and 300 kilometres, which approaches the average daily travelling range of each of the city's three franchised bus operators - Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB), New World First Bus (NWFB) and City Bus - who operate about 5,800 of the 13,000 buses in Hong Kong.
In 2010, the vehicles of the three bus firms travelled a total of 440 million kilometres. This means that, assuming 90 per cent of the fleet was used at all times, the daily average travelling range of each of these 5,800 buses was around 230 kilometres (KMB 246 kilometres, NWFB 205 kilometres City Bus 253 kilometres).
In reality, the terrain can vary tremendously depending on the routes, making the suitability of electric buses much more complicated.
For example, with a driving range of about 200 kilometres, an electric bus can handle 87 trips without recharging on KMB's short 71B route, which runs about 2.3 kilometres within Tai Po new town.
But a similar bus could only make four trips on KMB's longest route, a 50-kilometre trip from Fanling to Wan Chai.
Driving range is just one consideration. Climbing power is the weakest link for electric buses - making Hong Kong a steep challenge.
"Forget about getting up to The Peak on an electric bus for the moment," said Lo. "The battery can barely support the vehicle to finish the trip.
"Even if it can, the bus might need power replenishment right away at a terminus."
A complete transition to electric buses in Hong Kong could take years. Until then, Lo predicts, the city's streets would see a mix of power sources for buses.
"It will still take us a long time to replace these buses, perhaps 10 to 20 years, I don't know," he said. "But this is going to happen sooner or later, when technology advances could lower the battery weight by as much as half."
Apart from right-hand drive, Lo said, electric buses for Hong Kong would require larger batteries and motors than those for the mainland. They'll need greater power to handle the hills, high volume of passengers and need for air conditioning.
http://www.facebook.com/greenbuses
But a larger battery could mean fewer seats or a small luggage area, because the weight of the bus must not exceed the legal standard of 16 tonnes for a single decker - a rule that might have to be relaxed in the long term.
Where and how the battery cells are installed in a bus is another concern, because Hong Kong buses have to pass a tilt test - no flipping when tilted sideways at up to 35 degrees. Improper battery location might be dangerous.
Chinese University, located on top of a hill off Ma Liu Shui, is planning to introduce two electric buses under the city's pilot Green Transport Fund, set up to support the testing of green and innovative technologies for public transport and goods vehicles.
The university is getting a crash course in the vehicles' pluses and minuses.
"The ability to climb is a very crucial factor in selecting an electric bus," said Joseph Chan Ping-tak, the university's environmental sustainability manager. But that strong climbing power and better driving range might come at the expense of passenger capacity and even the provision of air conditioning.
"We hope we don't have to make such a trade-off since we are not sure if the bus will be designed in a way that the windows can actually be opened," Chan said,
http://www.facebook.com/openable1
adding that none of the 14 diesel-run buses they have now were equipped with air conditioning. On average each bus can pack in as many as 60 students, mostly standing.
Great Dragon is now going full steam ahead to develop and build 16 electric single-decker buses early next year for trials by organisations awarded subsidies under the Hong Kong government's Green Transport Fund.
The procurement has yet to be determined after a public tender, but Lo is confident of winning its bid. "We believe we are at least three to five years ahead of our rivals," he said.
One likely rival is BYD, which signed a memorandum with KMB to supply an electric bus for trials that were to start late last year, but were then postponed to allow more time to develop the vehicles.
Lin denied that the early move was a public relations ploy for BYD, which has been plagued by plunging sales on the mainland for its electric cars. "It makes no sense to develop a right-hand-drive bus in a left-hand-drive market, and that's why we think the Hong Kong market is very important to us. This is definitely not a public relations war," Lin said.
KMB is also looking at another technology - a super-capacitor bus used at the World Expo in Shanghai. This bus doesn't need a huge battery and has a small travelling range of only 50 kilometres when fully charged. But, by using a pantograph - an extendable mechanical link - on the bus roof, it can be recharged every time it stops at a bus stop equipped with an overhanging power cable. A 30-second charge is said to provide power to go one kilometre.
The bus, nicknamed gBus, has been tested by KMB for internal use since 2010. While the bus firm said the test was satisfactory, it plans to introduce another prototype with a longer range within this year. And the company also plans to test battery-driven buses and hybrids.
KMB would check vehicles' power consumption over different terrain, in loading conditions and in different weather, a company spokeswoman said.
Lo said super-capacitor technology had some problems that need to be addressed. "What if there is a serious traffic jam and the buses run out of power and the air conditioning stops?" he said.
"It might also need a larger charging station, and a strong voltage power cable might not be welcomed by residents living close to the bus stops."
KMB said the gBus could have sufficient power to maintain 30 minutes of air conditioning if it was stuck in traffic.
Lo said the West Kowloon arts hub might be an ideal spot for these buses because of the flat spaces and short distances.
Electric-bus makers are not the only ones revving up for more business. Traditional bus makers are devising greener vehicles, too - including diesel-electric hybrids.
Both Alexander Dennis and Volvo have rolled out these new-generation buses in Europe, especially in London, where the Olympic Games this year will boost green city transport.
These makers believe the hybrid buses, being so similar to current buses, offer plenty of advantages over electric powered vehicles.
"It is well recognised that given the limited road space and high passenger volumes, Hong Kong needs double-deck buses. This represents an even greater challenge in the context of an electric vehicle," said a spokesman for bus maker Alexander Dennis in Hong Kong.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Half Shenzhen's buses to be electric or hybrid
Half Shenzhen's buses to be electric or hybrid
Plan to replace more than 50pc of its combustion engine fleet would reduce dangerous air pollution
Fiona Tam
Mar 13, 2012
SCMP
In a bid to become China's electric vehicle capital, Shenzhen has set a goal to replace more than 50 per cent of its combustion engine buses with electric or hybrid ones by 2015, a move that would reduce air pollution, especially of dangerous fine respirable particles.
Shenzhen mayor Xu Qin said during the current National People's Congress in Beijing that within three years the city would ban from the road all vehicles that failed to meet the country's advanced emission standards.
The "green" credentials of electric cars is controversial. Some researchers say that only when renewable sources - such as solar, wind or hydropower - are used in making the car and generating the electricity to run it will emissions truly fall to zero. Nevertheless, Xu said adopting electric would greatly reduce air pollution in Shenzhen, which ranks second to Beijing as having the most vehicles on the mainland.
"Electric cars consume electricity rather than petrol, so at least there'll be zero emission of PM2.5 from the public transport system," he was quoted as saying by yesterday's Nanfang Daily. PM2.5 refers to respirable suspended particulates of 2.5 microns or less, which include cancer-causing particles.
Xu said 3,000 electric or hybrid vehicles were put into use in Shenzhen last year, and a further 2,000 were planned for this year.
Shenzhen's transport commission said earlier that the city planned to put on the road 5,000 hybrid and 1,000 electric buses, and 3,000 electric taxis, by the end of 2015.
This could cut 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, The Economic Observer reported.
According to Shenzhen's environmental protection bureau, the city's roughly 2.3 million vehicles emitted nearly 50 per cent of total PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides. Official figures suggest that 23 per cent of the city's emissions come from its 13,000 buses and 14,000 taxis.
Professor Eric Cheng, a specialist in electric vehicles at Polytechnic University, said Hong Kong, which offers fewer government subsidies to promote use of electric vehicles, was unlikely to follow Shenzhen's example.
"Everybody wants such a move," he said. "But it's nearly impossible for Hong Kong's privately owned bus operators to replace half of their vehicles with electric or hybrid ones, as the cost is too high. Without abundant government subsidies, it could take a decade for Hong Kong's bus companies to replace half of the buses with electric or hybrid ones."
Although coal accounts for more than 80 per cent of the fuel mix in China's power plants, Cheng said: "Filters in power plants are much more advanced than those on buses or taxis, and the percentage of electricity from coal will surely decrease if we have an eye on the future."
http://ramsss.com/hk
In Shenzhen, every electric bus put on the road has received a one million yuan (HK$1.22 million) subsidy since 2010, half from the central government and half from Shenzhen's. Subsidies for hybrid buses have increased from 300,000 to 600,000 yuan last year.
fiona.tam@scmp.com
Plan to replace more than 50pc of its combustion engine fleet would reduce dangerous air pollution
Fiona Tam
Mar 13, 2012
SCMP
In a bid to become China's electric vehicle capital, Shenzhen has set a goal to replace more than 50 per cent of its combustion engine buses with electric or hybrid ones by 2015, a move that would reduce air pollution, especially of dangerous fine respirable particles.
Shenzhen mayor Xu Qin said during the current National People's Congress in Beijing that within three years the city would ban from the road all vehicles that failed to meet the country's advanced emission standards.
The "green" credentials of electric cars is controversial. Some researchers say that only when renewable sources - such as solar, wind or hydropower - are used in making the car and generating the electricity to run it will emissions truly fall to zero. Nevertheless, Xu said adopting electric would greatly reduce air pollution in Shenzhen, which ranks second to Beijing as having the most vehicles on the mainland.
"Electric cars consume electricity rather than petrol, so at least there'll be zero emission of PM2.5 from the public transport system," he was quoted as saying by yesterday's Nanfang Daily. PM2.5 refers to respirable suspended particulates of 2.5 microns or less, which include cancer-causing particles.
Xu said 3,000 electric or hybrid vehicles were put into use in Shenzhen last year, and a further 2,000 were planned for this year.
Shenzhen's transport commission said earlier that the city planned to put on the road 5,000 hybrid and 1,000 electric buses, and 3,000 electric taxis, by the end of 2015.
This could cut 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, The Economic Observer reported.
According to Shenzhen's environmental protection bureau, the city's roughly 2.3 million vehicles emitted nearly 50 per cent of total PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides. Official figures suggest that 23 per cent of the city's emissions come from its 13,000 buses and 14,000 taxis.
Professor Eric Cheng, a specialist in electric vehicles at Polytechnic University, said Hong Kong, which offers fewer government subsidies to promote use of electric vehicles, was unlikely to follow Shenzhen's example.
"Everybody wants such a move," he said. "But it's nearly impossible for Hong Kong's privately owned bus operators to replace half of their vehicles with electric or hybrid ones, as the cost is too high. Without abundant government subsidies, it could take a decade for Hong Kong's bus companies to replace half of the buses with electric or hybrid ones."
Although coal accounts for more than 80 per cent of the fuel mix in China's power plants, Cheng said: "Filters in power plants are much more advanced than those on buses or taxis, and the percentage of electricity from coal will surely decrease if we have an eye on the future."
http://ramsss.com/hk
In Shenzhen, every electric bus put on the road has received a one million yuan (HK$1.22 million) subsidy since 2010, half from the central government and half from Shenzhen's. Subsidies for hybrid buses have increased from 300,000 to 600,000 yuan last year.
fiona.tam@scmp.com
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