The Study of Electric Buses and Their Impact on Environment in Urban Networks

Abstract

Climate change, fossil fuel depletion, and environmental pollution have become one of the greatest challenges of the 21^st century. Hence, the use of renewable energy sources is considered as one of the best environmentally friendly methods. In this regard, electric buses have received attention in cities. The present paper uses documentary and analytical methods to investigate the types of electric buses and their impacts on environment. The conducted studies indicate that electric transportation vehicles are highly environmentally friendly, of course having clean energy. Moreover, they provide a suitable alternative to diesel vehicles for reducing environmental pollutants. It is worth noting that the reduction in pollutants varies depending on the source of electricity generation, with solar energy reducing 80 to 90 percent, natural gas reducing 25 to 50 percent, and coal reducing 10 percent. Furthermore, the levels of noise pollution from electric and diesel buses in the urban environment at a constant speed range show a 5 to 9 decibel difference in a logarithmic scale. Despite the mentioned benefits, the lifetime cost (12 years) of an electric bus is approximately 5.12 percent less than that of a diesel bus.