While the economics of electric buses may make them an increasingly compelling public transport option, Year 4 student Annabelle Nicolson has a different reason to like her new electrified ride to school.
Key Points:
- Hillcrest Christian College begins first Gold Coast school electric bus trial
- Transportation research indicates that reliance on cars is increasing congestion around schools
- A Griffith researcher predicts an increase in the use of electric vehicles in public transport as costs come down
“If the gas from the bus goes into the air, then we, and the plants and animals, can get sick,” he said.
Annabelle will be one of the first students at Hillcrest Christian College to board their new electric bus as part of an upcoming trial.
The trial is the only one of its kind on the Gold Coast, with the hope of transitioning its fleet over five years.
But according to Griffith University’s Transport Research Group, as fuel prices rise and maintenance costs fall, more schools should follow suit.
“We’re now at the tipping point where if you set up a new operation with the depot and the fleet, you’d probably want to invest in electricity,” said Matthew Burke of Griffith University.
“The costs are starting to become apparent that this is what you do, especially with fuel prices that have risen in recent months,” Professor Burke said.
“The maintenance burden, in particular, of an electric vehicle is significantly less than that of an internal combustion engine.”
Hillcrest students Milena Garcia Mariano, Emilia Savage and Annabella Nicholson on an electric bus. (ABC Gold Coast: Camille Chorley)
“Unsustainable” transportation problem.
Professor Burke said the Griffith studies had shown unsustainable trends in Gold Coast transport, with about three-quarters of students going to school by car.
“People have switched to SUVs, which with light trucks make up about three-quarters of all sales here now,” he said.
“It’s pretty polluting.”
The Gold Coast City Council’s transport strategy, which is currently under review, shows that population growth from 640,000 to one million people by 2041 “could lead to a doubling of car journeys in our road network in 2031”.
Also, each car only carries an average of about one person during peak hours.
But Prof Burke said the Gold Coast had taken steps in the right direction, with the opening of Australia’s first 100 per cent electric bus depot in Currumbin earlier this year which would serve a local fleet of 14 people.
“I rode these vehicles for the first time in China in Guangzhou,” he said.
“100 per cent of their fleet is electric now, it has been for a long time and as a user it was much nicer than going on buses in Australia.”
“Irresistible” economic outlook.
Although the initial cost of electric vehicles exceeded their combustion alternatives, Professor Burke said this was expected to change over time as the price of basic minerals used in the production of electric vehicles fell.
“I would imagine that most fleets will be converted in the next 10 years just because the economics will be compelling,” he said.
“It will be cheaper to run, cheaper to maintain in the long run.”
The Currumbin Electric Bus Depot is powered by renewable energy, including a 56 kilowatt solar panel array. (Provided by: Translink)
State government estimates show entry-level electric cars cost $3 per 100km to run, compared with $14.25 for a four-cylinder internal combustion engine.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Nexport estimated that its electric buses were 30% cheaper to maintain than their diesel counterparts.
“The loading time of the bus that is being tested is between four and five hours,” said Pierre El Chiekh, director of mobility at Nexport.
“Our standard range is about 320 [kilometres].”
A lesson in the unknown
Hillcrest has begun testing buses along school pickup routes with weights to test range, operating costs and carrying capacity.
But Hillcrest CFO Rachel Collins said there was also a symbolic lesson for students.
“The jobs that our kids are going to go into, 65 percent don’t even exist,” he said.
The Gold Coast faces congestion problems due to relatively high levels of car dependency. (ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale)
“What we can teach them is to be curious about the world, to investigate and to find their way.
“When we introduce new technologies early, like the bus, we’re modeling that we don’t really understand everything, we’re going to make mistakes, and we could have problems loading the bus or problems down the road.
“But that’s what life is, and that’s what you have to learn.”