Providing a study to assess benefits of implementing zero emission buses

Ann Arbor Area Transit Authority Bus Propulsion Study

In Michigan, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA)—TheRide—gets people where they need to go. Fueling the need for a more sustainable transit system, the AAATA consulted with us to conduct an impartial review of bus propulsion technologies. The goal of the study? To help create clarity so that decision-makers can have transparent, honest information to help them balance trade-offs and make informed decisions based on the best information available. Our study clearly laid out pros and cons, identified benefits and risks, and developed comprehensive estimates for various adoption scenarios and timelines.

The scope of our work included documenting the existing situation and benefits, an assessment of all propulsion technologies infrastructure planning—including zero emission buses and traditional internal combustion engine buses. We also assessed capital and operations, financial planning, and emissions modeling. Modeling also showed that only 60 percent of AAATA’s service can be electrified using battery electric buses (BEBs) with depot-only charging.

Our plan recommended a restructuring of AAATA’s block service to support the implementation of BEBs and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.