{"id":8927,"date":"2020-12-25T10:51:32","date_gmt":"2020-12-25T09:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=8927"},"modified":"2020-12-25T10:51:32","modified_gmt":"2020-12-25T09:51:32","slug":"electric-commuter-shuttles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/12\/25\/electric-commuter-shuttles\/","title":{"rendered":"The case for electric commuter shuttles in the Silicon Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

2020 is expected to be a crucial year for the switch of commuter shuttles in the Silicon Valley<\/strong> to battery-electric technology. In this framework, the biotechnology corporation Genentech<\/strong> represents today a bright rare case: the company is going to convert half of its commuter shuttles fleet to zero emission by the end of the year. Ten e-coaches are already in operations, and there are plans to add further 20 units in the months to come.<\/p>\n

The topic is addressed in a detailed report from Katie Fehrenbacher<\/strong> for GreenBiz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Genentech bets on electric commuter shuttles<\/h2>\n

Over 1,000 private commuter buses runs every day across San Francisco Bay Area. They carry employees of the high-tech company based in the area from home to work and viceversa. Genentech\u2019s buses (called GenenBuses) stand out in this panorama: the company has invested so far in ten battery-electric coaches by BYD. They run from as far as Vacaville and San Jos\u00e8 to South San Francisco. It\u2019s not something particularly new: they have been launched in summer 2018, GreeBiz highlights. And the first were four double decker. Charging takes place at\u00a0Pacific Gas & Electric, thanks to a new transformer installed in order to supply the bus charging depot.<\/p>\n

What is really new is that this month the company is going to receive 11 further vehicles<\/strong>. And is planning the purchase of another group of 10 vehicles. By the end of 2020, according to the statements collected by GreenBiz, Genentech employees will be travelling on more than 60 electric commuter shuttles.<\/p>\n

Electric city buses on a rise, commuter shuttles not<\/h2>\n

Genentech has been the first company in the Silicon Valley to bet on zero emission technology for the commuter shuttles fleet. But soon other companies such as Facebook and bus operator Hallconn should be adding electric buses to their fleets, GreenBiz points out.<\/p>\n

It is widely known that, while battery-electric applications are already established in China and are gaining ground all over the world in the field of city buses for public transport (over 10 per cent of sales in Western Europe in 2019 should be electric<\/a>), with regards to coaches things are more complicated. An issue of range and of financing: such an expensive switch is easier where capitals are not private. LNG is considered today the most viable alternative to diesel in the coach field, according to IRU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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