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Paudel, Bhuwan

University of British Columbia

Canadian transit agencies are exploring viable replacements for their diesel bus (DB) fleet to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Zero-emissions buses (ZEBs), such as electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses, show great potential due to no tailpipe emissions during their operation. However, the transition from diesel buses to ZEBs requires a comprehensive analysis; this should go beyond the environmental benefits during operation and thoroughly examine the economic and social implications throughout their life cycle. The existing published literature reveals the need to develop a comprehensive framework that integrates indicators and multiple decision parameters over a life cycle perspective to analyze different options for replacing the existing fleet of DBs. This study aimed to develop a framework that incorporates life cycle thinking to compare the sustainability performance of transit buses. A life cycle sustainability assessment framework (LCSA) was developed for transit buses incorporating life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing assessment (LCCA) and social life cycle assessment (SLCA) methods. Their individual outcomes were aggregated using the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method -Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The developed LCSA framework was applied to DB, hydrogen fuel cell bus (HB), and electric bus (EB) used in the transit system across Canada. The results show that the environmental performance of the EB and HB was better than that of DB; HB has the most economic burden followed by DB and EB; and EB has the least social impact over the life cycle. Exploring societal aspects helped to understand the impacts on people and communities throughout the supply chain. The extent of these impacts in the three aspects of sustainability varies across the regions. Moreover, the sustainability performance of the EB during its operation using the future grid mix of 2030-2050 was analyzed. The prospect for the deployment of electric buses in Canada looks promising. With improvements in the electric grid, transit agencies will be able to attain even greater sustainability benefits. The proposed framework and the results of the sustainability assessment will help policymakers and stakeholders integrate ZEBs into transit systems, paving the way for a more sustainable future.

Text

2024-10-01

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89313

Mechanical Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/