The Northeast suffers from levels of ozone and fine paniculate mater which threaten public health. While diesel powered buses can reduce reliance on personal automobiles, they are a significant source of the emissions which make up these air pollution problems. Electric powered transportation can make a contribution to meeting society's desires for clean air and transportation services. However, for this technology to be acceptable to transit operators and the public, it must demonstrate that it is not only clean, but can provide a level of service competitive with conventional technology, while satisfying riders' needs and comfort.
To this end, the Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium (NAVC) working with transit operators in the northeast, Advanced Vehicle Systems, Inc (AVS), Solectria Corp., and EVermont has undertaken a project to redesign a 22-foot electric shuttle bus. In total, five buses will be built and operated at three Northeast locations. The design improvements will address the special demands Northeast winters place on battery energy storage and cabin comfort, as well as improvements to the electric drive system.
The first bus has been delivered and acceptance completed. Results of these performance tests will be used to optimize the design of the remaining buses in the project. This paper will overview the project and then focus on cabin thermal management design, and conclude with recommendations for cabin thermal integrity design standards to ensure a safe and comfortable cabin.