Fleet Electrification

Jamaica

In collaboration with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) assessed the potential for implementing battery electric buses (BEBs) in Kingston. The evaluation focused on drive-cycle data, including vehicle speed at each second of operation, to determine which bus routes would be most suitable for electrification. In December 2017, NREL collected this data to analyze existing bus utilization patterns and estimate which routes could be served by BEBs while ensuring sufficient time for recharging. The study also considered drive-cycle statistics to identify routes that would benefit most from the energy efficiency gains of switching from diesel buses to BEBs. Routes with frequent stops and starts were found to be particularly promising due to the regenerative braking capabilities of electric buses, which help maximize energy savings.

Jamaica Urban Transit Company Drive-Cycle Analysis, NREL, Technical Report (2019)

Mexico

Mexico aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero CO2eq emissions by 2062. Electrifying mobility is seen as an attractive approach to reducing transport-sector CO2 emissions, improving air quality, and improving traffic congestions. NREL—through the 21st Century Power Partnership—is working with Iniciativa Climática de México (ICM) to reduce 140 Mtonnes of CO2 by 2030 from the mobility sector. In 2018, NREL in partnership with USAID-Mexico’s Low Emissions Development Program (M-LED) program, worked with public transport authorities in Mexico City and León to evaluate the potential for transit bus electrification.

Technical Evaluation of Battery Electric Bus Potential in Mexico City and Leon, Mexico, NREL Technical Report (2020)