Battery Electric Buses – State of the Practice

This report suggests that executives of transit systems considering introduction of Battery Electric Buses (BEBs) into their fleets and agencies wanting to improve or expand their BEB fleets should collect all of the information necessary to make educated decisions. The report provides relevant information and considerations by reporting on the current state of the electric bus market. Through a literature review, a survey of 21 agencies with BEB experience (18 of 21 responded for an 86% rate), and five current case examples, this synthesis report provides a comprehensive analysis of electric bus deployment including planning, procurement, infrastructure installation, and operations and maintenance. The synthesis should also be valuable to another wide range of industry stakeholders including bus and component manufacturers trying to better meet the needs of their customers and federal, state, and local funding agencies and policy makers.