An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation
Hydrogen and electric buses are considered effective options for decarbonizing the public transportation sector, positioning them as a leader in this transition. This study models the environmental and economic performances of a set of bus powertrain technologies, considering a real case-study of su...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000886 |
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| author | Claudio Carbone Nicola Sanzò Riccardo Dorsini Giuseppe Nigliaccio Giuseppe Di Florio Viviana Cigolotti Alessandro Agostini |
| author_facet | Claudio Carbone Nicola Sanzò Riccardo Dorsini Giuseppe Nigliaccio Giuseppe Di Florio Viviana Cigolotti Alessandro Agostini |
| author_sort | Claudio Carbone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hydrogen and electric buses are considered effective options for decarbonizing the public transportation sector, positioning them as a leader in this transition. This study models the environmental and economic performances of a set of bus powertrain technologies, considering a real case-study of suburban public transport in Italy, and including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), biomethane-powered vehicles (CBM), natural gas (CNG), and diesel buses. The environmental performances of FCEV and BEV are significantly influenced by the energy source used for hydrogen production or battery charging. Specifically, using the electricity mix for FCEV leads to the highest greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel demand. In contrast, BEV show better environmental performance than conventional powertrains, especially when powered by photovoltaics. When powered by photovoltaics, BEV reveal similar results to FCEV in terms of environmental impacts, except for resource depletion, where both perform poorly. Transitioning from diesel to BEV or FCEV can enhance local air quality, regardless of the energy source. The economic analysis indicates that FCEV are the most expensive option, followed by BEV, both of which are currently costlier than diesel and CNG systems. CBM from waste streams emerges as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution. This study suggests prioritizing biomethane derived from biowaste, manure, and residual biomass (excluding energy crops) as a part of the fuels for public transport decarbonization in the EU to advance EU decarbonization goals, despite limitations due to resource availability. Furthermore, BEV powered by renewables should be prioritized whenever their range is adequate.∗ |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c5788e08d43240a7a630677b11dd8a41 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2666-7894 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-c5788e08d43240a7a630677b11dd8a412025-08-20T02:06:20ZengElsevierCleaner Environmental Systems2666-78942025-03-011610025010.1016/j.cesys.2024.100250An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportationClaudio Carbone0Nicola Sanzò1Riccardo Dorsini2Giuseppe Nigliaccio3Giuseppe Di Florio4Viviana Cigolotti5Alessandro Agostini6Energy Technologies and Renewables Department, ENEA CR Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Corresponding author.Energy Technologies and Renewables Department, ENEA CR Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyEnergy Technologies and Renewables Department, ENEA CR Bologna, Bologna, ItalyEnergy Technologies and Renewables Department, ENEA CR Casaccia, Rome, ItalyEnergy Technologies and Renewables Department, ENEA CR Casaccia, Rome, ItalyEnergy Technologies and Renewables Department, ENEA CR Casaccia, Rome, ItalyHydrogen and electric buses are considered effective options for decarbonizing the public transportation sector, positioning them as a leader in this transition. This study models the environmental and economic performances of a set of bus powertrain technologies, considering a real case-study of suburban public transport in Italy, and including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), biomethane-powered vehicles (CBM), natural gas (CNG), and diesel buses. The environmental performances of FCEV and BEV are significantly influenced by the energy source used for hydrogen production or battery charging. Specifically, using the electricity mix for FCEV leads to the highest greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel demand. In contrast, BEV show better environmental performance than conventional powertrains, especially when powered by photovoltaics. When powered by photovoltaics, BEV reveal similar results to FCEV in terms of environmental impacts, except for resource depletion, where both perform poorly. Transitioning from diesel to BEV or FCEV can enhance local air quality, regardless of the energy source. The economic analysis indicates that FCEV are the most expensive option, followed by BEV, both of which are currently costlier than diesel and CNG systems. CBM from waste streams emerges as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution. This study suggests prioritizing biomethane derived from biowaste, manure, and residual biomass (excluding energy crops) as a part of the fuels for public transport decarbonization in the EU to advance EU decarbonization goals, despite limitations due to resource availability. Furthermore, BEV powered by renewables should be prioritized whenever their range is adequate.∗http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000886Environmental life cycle assessmentTotal cost of ownershipfuel cell electric busesBattery electric busesBiomethane |
| spellingShingle | Claudio Carbone Nicola Sanzò Riccardo Dorsini Giuseppe Nigliaccio Giuseppe Di Florio Viviana Cigolotti Alessandro Agostini An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation Cleaner Environmental Systems Environmental life cycle assessment Total cost of ownership fuel cell electric buses Battery electric buses Biomethane |
| title | An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation |
| title_full | An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation |
| title_fullStr | An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation |
| title_full_unstemmed | An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation |
| title_short | An economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation |
| title_sort | economic and environmental assessment of different bus powertrain technologies in public transportation |
| topic | Environmental life cycle assessment Total cost of ownership fuel cell electric buses Battery electric buses Biomethane |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000886 |
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