39: Buses - Hydrogen vs Batteries (1/2)
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Description
In this episode, host Michael Barnard engages in an enlightening conversation with Michael Raynor, co-author of The Innovator’s Solution and an expert in carbon reduction strategies. Raynor shares his personal...
show moreThe conversation takes a practical turn as Raynor discusses Mississauga’s hydrogen bus pilot program. He recounts how he identified potential issues with the initiative and reached out directly to the city’s mayor and council. His insights led to an invitation to present his findings to the Mississauga City Council on October 30th.
The conversation turns to Barnard’s dive into the CUTRIC (Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium) in advancing urban transit decarbonization through research and policy recommendations, as well as some red flags.
Barnard and Raynor explore the financial and environmental trade-offs between hydrogen and battery-electric buses. Barnard provides a critical analysis of data from California and the EU’s JIVE program, showing that hydrogen buses come with significant costs for refuelling infrastructure and maintenance. Comparatively, for the cost of five hydrogen buses, municipalities could procure twelve battery-electric buses, making the latter more attractive both financially and environmentally.
The episode wraps up with a closer look at CUTRIC’s recent report for Brampton, where Barnard identifies questionable assumptions about hydrogen system costs. One factor alone, the cost assumption for gray hydrogen could have a $200 million swing, dwarfing the $10 million variance called out justifying a blended hydrogen + battery electric fleet instead of a battery electric only fleet.
Raynor examines the varying carbon costs of different hydrogen types—gray, blue, and green—and emphasizes the importance of carefully choosing technologies based on actual benefits. The battery-electric buses offer superior emissions reduction per dollar spent.
Information
Author | Laurent Segalen + Gerard Reid |
Organization | Laurent Segalen + Gerard Reid |
Website | www.redefining-energy.com |
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