Commuters relying on mass/public transportation may feel like they're doing their part to keep the environment clean because they're not all driving to the city alone in their cars, each puffing carbon dioxide exhaust into the air. But what about the buses? Sure, the number of buses needed to carry throngs of commuters to and from the city is much less than the number of cars it would require to carry that same amount--but buses are certainly not the cleanest forms of transportation. Anyone standing at a bus stop can tell as these beasts roll by, often sputtering toxic black clouds and noxious fumes from their rear ends.
I did find hope for the future of buses from this New York Times article. Writer Matthew Wald reports that electric buses are making their way into rotation, specifically as shuttles between terminals at the Logan Airport in Boston. According to the article, these new vehicles are "powered by two electric motors, one for each rear wheel, and a natural gas engine" and are composed of "more fiberglass than steel, [and] is two-thirds the weight of a regular bus."
A drawback to these eco-buses are their cost, which is about four times that of a typical gas-guzzling bus. As technology progresses, it is suspected that the price for electric buses will drop. The added bonus of fuel savings may factor in to making the bus more affordable as well.
While I immediately felt hope when I read this article about the future of mass transportation, I will admit my heart sank a bit when I noticed the piece was written in 1999--TEN YEARS AGO! Maybe ten years is a drop in the bucket when it comes to electric transportation technology, but it definitely makes me feel like we should have been seeing these vehicles rolling out in mass production by now.
No comments:
Post a Comment