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Suggested Citation:"Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25842.
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Suggested Citation:"Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25842.
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Suggested Citation:"Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25842.
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Suggested Citation:"Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25842.
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Suggested Citation:"Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25842.
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1 INTRODUCTION Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses Overview and Objectives TCRP Research Report 219: Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses is a tool for educating transit agencies on current best practices for zero-emission bus (ZEB) deployments and represents lessons learned from previous deployments, industry experts, and available industry resources. The Guidebook is intended to provide transit agencies with the information necessary to achieve the maximum benefit out of their ZEB deployment and mitigate potential risks. Every deployment will be guided by the transit agency’s specific needs and priorities; therefore, the Guidebook does not provide prescriptive answers to every decision. Rather, it provides transit agencies with the context and knowledge needed to understand the complexity of a ZEB deployment; supports decision making; and emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining successful relationships with technology providers, utility companies, fuel suppliers, and contractors. While all transit agencies, regardless of fleet size, location, or designed for transit agencies deploying their first ZEBs. ZEB Overview The ZEB market, including battery electric buses (BEBs) and fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs), has seen significant growth in recent years. ZEBs are an attractive alternative to their conventionally fueled counterparts due to their cleaner, quieter, and more efficient rides. While capital costs and range are still limiting factors in ZEB adoption, technology advancements and early market adopters have helped increase the understanding of the technology’s capabilities, prove the use case of ZEBs in transit applications, and lower costs. Continued efforts from zero- emission vehicle manufacturers, fuel suppliers, and policy makers are needed to make ZEB deployments cost competitive for all transit agencies. The ZEB industry is still maturing; therefore, your transit agency should begin each deployment by researching the current technology options and any available federal, state, and local resources. ZEBs do not rely on fossil fuels for operation and have zero harmful tailpipe emissions, improving local air quality. In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health reported that, in the United States, air pollution control pays off at a rate of 30 to 1; every dollar invested in air pollution control generates 30 dollars of benefits (Watts et al., 2015). Transit agencies looking to make positive impacts on local air quality have turned to ZEB technology. ZEBs’ all- electric propulsion and auxiliary systems create smoother, quieter rides for passengers. They have also demonstrated greater efficiencies than diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses when tested under the Federal Transit Administration’s Altoona testing program (Pennsylvania State University, n.d.). The potential benefits of ZEB technology have helped increase market interest, fostering new ZEB manufacturers and encouraging incumbent original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to add ZEBs to their product portfolio. previous experience with ZEB deployments, will find the Guidebook helpful, the level of detail is

2 Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses The increase in market interest has also helped decrease product pricing. While ZEBs were more expensive than conventionally fueled vehicles in 2020, the cost of the technology has been significantly decreasing. According to the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the average price of an FCEB in 2018 was $1.27 million, 49% lower than the price in 2010 (Eudy and Post, 2018). For BEBs, total bus costs haven’t declined as much as FCEBs over the same time period, but the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of battery capacity has significantly decreased. A 2016 California Air Resources Board (CARB) study predicted that the median battery cost for heavy-duty vehicles would decrease from $725 per kWh in 2015 to an estimated $405 per kWh in 2020 (CARB, 2016a). While the CARB study has not been replicated, a 2019 study by the Rocky Mountain Institute found that the cost per kWh for lithium-ion batteries, a commonly used battery chemistry for BEBs, decreased by almost 50% between 2015 and 2019, supporting CARB’s 2016 prediction (Tyson et al., 2019). Instead of reflecting the lower cost of batteries in their bus pricing, BEB OEMs recognized a greater need for increased vehicle range. As a result, BEBs purchased today have greater battery capacity than those offered in 2010, giving transit agencies more flexibility and options for deployment. All first-time ZEB deployments require new fueling infrastructure, increasing up -front capital costs. FCEBs require a hydrogen fueling station and BEBs require charging stations, both of which will likely necessitate additional land-use considerations and electric infrastructure upgrades. While the initial cost to deploy ZEBs can be significant, local, state, and federal incentives aimed at improving air quality, advancing new technologies, and reducing dependence on foreign oil are available to offset capital costs. These incentives, coupled with the benefits of ZEBs and increased market availability , have helped to increase the number of ZEBs sold in the United States. In 2018, TCRP Synthesis 130: Battery Electric Buses—State of the Practice helped demonstrate not only the growth and potential of the Battery Electric Bus market but also the challenges many transit agencies face while deploying BEB technology ( , 2018). NREL’s Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status in 2018 provided similar insight into the benefits and challenges of FCEBs (Eudy and Post, 2018). Both reports were quick to identify the potential benefits of ZEB technology, including greater fuel economy, zero tailpipe emissions, and smoother and quieter rides. However, both were also clear on the challenges to deployment. For FCEBs, NREL’s Fuel Cell Electric Buses in the USA report identified five challenges to FCEB deployments: cost, fuel cell system issues, parts supply, range issues, and access to and cost of hydrogen fuel (Beshilas, 2019). For BEBs, TCRP Synthesis 130: Battery Electric Buses—State of the Practice also highlighted five challenges to BEB deployments: range limitations, charging time, high electricity rates for some locations, complicated utility rate structures, and higher capital costs (Hanlin et al., 2018). While some of these challenges can only be minimized or eliminated through market maturity, others can largely be mitigated by transit agencies through careful planning of ZEB deployments. Learning from previous ZEB deployments and understanding the nuances specific to the technology allows transit agencies to maximize the benefits of their deployment. Hanlin et al.

Introduction 3 Figure 1. The ten deployment phases found in the Guidebook. Guidebook Layout This Guidebook’s format helps users quickly identify the necessary steps, key stakeholders, and common pitfalls so they can make the most of their deployment. The user-friendly format allows users with different interests or responsibilities to easily find relevant information for each phase of deployment. The Guidebook categorizes ZEB deployments into ten sequential Phases, as shown in Figure 1 below . Phase 1 guides you through evaluating your transit agency’s motivations for ZEB deployments and identifying your long-term ZEB goals, considering your transit agency’s priorities, limitations, and requirements. Phase 2 outlines how to select the appropriate technology to meet your requirements based on real-life or simulated data, and how to develop technical specifications for a bus procurement. Phase 3 provides information on various local, state, and federal funding opportunities that can offset the capital costs of ZEBs and charging or hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Phase 4 helps you design a charging or fueling strategy for your buses. This phase is mostly focused on BEB charging infrastructure, with detailed information on electricity rate structures and how charge management can optimize operations. Phase 5 steps through the activities to deploy charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure, including stakeholder engagement, site selection, design, permitting, construction, and commissioning. Phase 6 describes recommended activities to support acceptance and validation testing to ensure buses meet all technology and performance specifications. This phase also provides guidance on developing an initial deployment plan for your buses. Phase 7 provides high-level information on training and development needs specific to ZEB deployments for transit agency staff and first responders. Phase 8 lists best practices for how operators can increase vehicle range and efficiency, methods for monitoring battery health, and recommendations for preventative and unplanned maintenance. Phase 9 suggests data collection and evaluation activities to produce key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor vehicle performance, efficiency, and costs. Phase 10 highlights potential advancements in the ZEB industry and emerging research areas to help your transit agency stay on the cutting edge.

4 Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses A ZEB Technology Overview can be found before Phase 1, providing information on BEBs, BEB charging infrastructure, FCEBs, and hydrogen fueling stations. The primer includes contextual information on the benefits and limitations of each technology to help you identify the solution best suited for your transit agency’s needs. Unless noted otherwise, references to ZEB bus statistics assume a 40’ transit bus. Each phase includes:  A two-page overview summarizing what to expect in that deployment phase and the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders. The overview can be used as reference material and as an executive summary for management or other stakeholders needing a high-level summary.  Best practices that walk through the phase in detail. Throughout these sections, you will find: o Icons to indicate if a concept is specific to BEBs or FCEBs o Key takeaways in blue shaded boxes o Examples from Deployments in Action in yellow shaded boxes Using the Guidebook The Guidebook educates and guides transit agencies through key considerations for deployment by providing a comprehensive overview of ZEBs, infrastructure, and deployment planning considerations. If read cover to cover, the Guidebook would potentially seem overwhelming and sometimes redundant. The content is structured to serve as reference material throughout each phase of deployment; key concepts may occasionally be revisited, as they can be relevant at different stages. Users should consult the Guidebook at the onset of each phase as a guide for expectations, required resources, and work that should be accomplished during that phase. Additional external resources that may be helpful are also included at the end of each phase. The Guidebook utilizes best practices, building off of successful approaches from demonstrated deployments as well as strategies for avoiding pitfalls. Since every deployment of ZEBs is unique, and the technology is rapidly advancing, the Guidebook should be just one tool in your transit agency’s ZEB deployment toolbox. Not every transit agency will have the internal resources to manage ZEB deployments or the knowledge to effectively deploy the technology, therefore transit agency staff, third-party consultants with specific ZEB deployment experience , utility experts, and local stakeholder groups should be consulted for supplemental assistance, as needed. The Guidebook provides suggestions on when external resources may be necessary; however transit agencies should evaluate their available internal resources to determine when external expertise is needed.

Introduction 5 In addition, current regulations and incentives, coupled with early successful deployments, have many transit agencies looking at full-scale, large (>100 buses) ZEB deployments. These projects are innovative and game changing. They represent a dedication to ZEBs that hasn’t previously been demonstrated in the U.S. transit market. While the Guidebook will help educate transit agencies on the complexities of these deployments, it does not provide detailed guidance on the transition plan required for implementation at this scale. Best practices for full fleet transition planning are still in the process of being established in the transit market, but it is safe to say that the principles laid out in this Guidebook will form a solid foundation for a transition plan. Regardless of the deployment size, this Guidebook is designed to be a useful resource. Building upon case studies and lessons learned, the Guidebook equips transit agencies with the knowledge required to avoid common pitfalls and make the most of their ZEB deployment.

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The zero‐emission bus (ZEB) market, including Battery Electric Buses and Fuel Cell Electric Buses, has seen significant growth in recent years. ZEBs do not rely on fossil fuels for operation and have zero harmful tailpipe emissions, improving local air quality. The increase in market interest has also helped decrease product pricing.

The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Research Report 219: Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses is designed to provide transit agencies with information on current best practices for ZEB deployments and lessons learned from previous deployments, industry experts, and available industry resources.

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