NSW Electric Bus Plan

[tonyp]

Relatively speaking I wouldn't dispute that but its not as if the hills and stop/starting of urban operation are increasing range which is how your earlier post can be read. It's that the regen is restoring some of the energy lost due to the needs of having to go uphill and increased frequency of acceleration. Remove those range zappers and any vehicle will be able to travel to its maximum range. Once they are present the range of all vehicles is reduced but a vehicle with regen will have its range reduced by less due to ability to recover a proportion of the additional energy expended.

Perfect!

[moa999]

Now 55 electric buses at Leichhardt, supported by a large rooftop solar install, Tesla batteries and a lot of charging points.

https://thedriven.io/2023/01/10/austral ... or-future/

Mean time still very rare operations at Waverley with the Elements.

[tonyp]

Mean time still very rare operations at Waverley with the Elements.

Have to uphold the tradition of prioritising the least functional, most passenger-unfriendly buses on the road first.

[Merc1107]

Rooftop solar won't go too far with 55 buses (and growing) in need of the power!

[Passenger 57]

Given that Waverley isn't listed as one of the depots for upgrades or shown receiving many buses is probably a portent that the depot will be sold. Where will the buses live then?

[Linto63]

Nor are former State Transit depots Burwood, Mona Vale or Ryde or the depots of many other operators. Doesn't mean they will be sold, they are just not included in this phase of the rollout which only accounts for 1,200 of the 4,000+ buses to be purchased.

[Fleet Lists]

There are quite a few other depots which are not listed so I dont think think that is definite conclusion.

[Swift]

North Sydney, Willoughby and Waverley would be candidates to be sold for their irresistible land value.
They'll probably build some super depot with lots of dead running to and from, or amalgamate into fewer super depots dotted in different areas.
They should be going the other way, as with schools.

[boronia]

There have been proposals to build over the top of North Sydney and Waverley floating around for years.

Waverley was recently touted as a location for a new eastern suburbs co-ed high school.

[Stu]

Now 55 electric buses at Leichhardt, supported by a large rooftop solar install, Tesla batteries and a lot of charging points.

https://thedriven.io/2023/01/10/austral ... or-future/

This particular stage of the electric bus infrastructure construction at Leichhardt Depot was completed in May 2022. I would expect electric bus infrastructure upgrades at depots in other regions to ramp up this year to match the expected increase of electric bus units being manufactured this year.

[tonyp]

Redeveloping Waverley Depot would close off the sometimes-studied proposal to build light rail to Bondi Beach, a subject that has never been closed off, considering the capacity issues between Bondi Junction and Bondi Beach, now and into the future. It's about the last place available in the eastern suburbs that they could house trams and would have the advantage of sharing power supply infrastructure in one location for both trams and electric buses that could be both housed on the site. Basically, I'm saying, don't write off Waverley prematurely. Hope this clarifies my on-topic point further.

[Fleet Lists]

The above post has been reported as off-topic. As it is a follow on from a number of posts which have gradually taken the thread off topic, it is difficult to split it into another thread. However any future posts of this nature will be considered off topic and will be deleted.

[Fleet Lists]

As posted above any further discussion of this nature would be deleted. Even the poster admitted that the post was somewhat off topic.

[Merc1107]

All in the name of appeasing some miserable, rigid complainant.

Not like the post(s) are just irrelevant shitposting and trolling as one sees on the wild-west that is Facebook groups.

[tonyp]

All in the name of appeasing some miserable, rigid complainant.

Not like the post(s) are just irrelevant shitposting and trolling as one sees on the wild-west that is Facebook groups.

I've amended my last post above to clarify it further, if you want to have a read.

[Linto63]

No one said the discussion shouldn't be held, merely this was not the place for it. We are all guilty of taking threads off topic, but when pointed out rather then bitching about it there are 3 options; knock it on the head, continue at a more appropriate thread or create a new thread.

Thus a new thread, Possible future light rail routes, has been created. Perhaps a friendly admin could transfer the relevant posts.

[tonyp]

No one said the discussion shouldn't be held, merely this was not the place for it. We are all guilty of taking threads off topic, but when pointed out rather then bitching about it there are 3 options; knock it on the head, continue at a more appropriate thread or create a new thread.

Thus a new thread, Possible future light rail routes, has been created. Perhaps a friendly admin could transfer the relevant posts.

There are no "relevant posts" to transfer. This is about depots for electric buses. Suggesting that Waverley should not be eliminated from consideration because there are still other active transport planning agendas around it is not off-topic and I would object to that post being removed. On the other hand, I don't intend to discuss possible future light rail routes, so I wouldn't object if that thread, which is unnecessary at this point,is removed.

[Swift]

Will mechanics be out of work? There are consequences to most decisions.

[Merc1107]

There would presumably be a reduction in maintenance staff needed, as the servicing requirements wouldn't be as intensive as on CNG or Diesel buses. Then again, there are still brakes, suspension, steering, axles, bearings, motors, bodywork and electrical equipment to maintain, so who knows. I'm sure there will be at least a few electrics over time that turn out to be complete lemons, as with even the best makes and models.

[tonyp]

There would presumably be a reduction in maintenance staff needed, as the servicing requirements wouldn't be as intensive as on CNG or Diesel buses. Then again, there are still brakes, suspension, steering, axles, bearings, motors, bodywork and electrical equipment to maintain, so who knows. I'm sure there will be at least a few electrics over time that turn out to be complete lemons, as with even the best makes and models.

The better-designed buses connect the motor to the drive (rear) axle through a shaft and diff, so that axle can be disconnected if required and serviced solely by a mechanic. The buses with hub motors require involvement of a sparkie for rear axle work, thus higher maintenance costs. Some electric bus designs are much smarter than others, as one was able to observe at the Bus Expo.

[booma]

At this stage there will still be a need for diesel bus mechanics until 2047, just as there is currently a bus driver shortage so too is there a maintenance

staff shortage.

I wonder if chat GPT has been introduced to Hastus yet?

Would artificial intelligence replace Schedulers before it replaces bus drivers???

[Merc1107]

Some of this is going to depend on how far we as a society wish for automation and AI to progress. It seems we're still largely ignorant (deliberately or not) of the risk for software "going rogue" and having evolved beyond the point of being shutdown.

[Glen]

I wonder if chat GPT has been introduced to Hastus yet?

If it has it would be fun to watch.

Would artificial intelligence replace Schedulers before it replaces bus drivers???

I doubt it.

[tonyp]

Would artificial intelligence replace Schedulers before it replaces bus drivers???

I doubt it.

I though schedulers were smarter than AI Glen

[Swift]

The better-designed buses connect the motor to the drive (rear) axle through a shaft and diff, so that axle can be disconnected if required and serviced solely by a mechanic. The buses with hub motors require involvement of a sparkie for rear axle work, thus higher maintenance costs. Some electric bus designs are much smarter than others, as one was able to observe at the Bus Expo.

When I was last in Railway Square several weeks ago, I noticed some with thick rear wheel hubs reminiscent of Mercedes Benz axles, but with fluting built into them presumably for cooling effect. I take these to be the hub motored ones.