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ETS Electric Bus testing


M. Parsons

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6 hours ago, Phillip said:

Any idea when the battery buses will start to arrive? 

The XD40's should start to arrive soon too! Probably won't be ready when I visit in May though :(  

XD's might be by May. They're supposed to start arriving in February. They shouldn't take as long as the first fleet to enter service.

Battery bus tender doesn't appear to have been awarded yet. 

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"The wheels on the electric bus will be going round and round permanently in Edmonton starting next year.

A $43-million joint-funding announcement held Friday in the city’s southwest heralded the impending inclusion of electric buses to the transit fleet starting in 2019. 

At first it will be just five buses added to the city’s fleet of about 1,000 vehicles but later that same year and sometime in 2020 the city will receive the remaining 35 vehicles, Mayor Don Iveson said.

The federal government is contributing $21.5 million to the green initiative, with the province and the city contributing $10.8 million each.

Iveson said negotiations with the supplier are just wrapping up and a further announcement about procurement is in the wind."

Source: http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-gets-jolt-of-cash-for-40-electric-buses

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Quote
Engineering Work Experience Student (Electric Bus Program)     4 or 8 months

Job Number

 :   34946  

33aduyt.jpg

Listen to Vivienne, an Engineering Work Experience Student, as she talks about her experience during her work term at the City of Edmonton. Listen Now!

 

1 temporary full-time position for 4 or 8 months, intended specifically for students currently enrolled in an electrical engineering co-op or equivalent post-secondary work experience  degree program, commencing in May 2019

 

Edmonton’s Electric Bus Program will test and put into service battery-powered electric transit buses which are an operationally feasible and cost-neutral technology alternative to diesel buses for the Edmonton Transit Services (ETS) fleet. The program anticipates an initial reduction in overall Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of 38-44 percent locally, which will improve as energy production in Alberta shifts to cleaner sources of power generation.

 

The Electric Bus Program, is looking for an enthusiastic and driven electric engineering co-op student to assist the group with the system testing, troubleshooting and maintenance/data analytics related to electric bus subsystems such as: thermal battery management systems, charging stations and network, energy load management control systems, building management systems and wireless computer networks. The Electric Bus Program will implement a system testing program starting in Q4 of 2018 as electric bus charging equipment and buses arrive in early 2020.

 

Duties include:

  • Assist with the development of feasibility studies for charging operational models

  • Support the team with tasks pertaining to the design/construction of facility infrastructure for testing electric bus charging stations

  • Participate in installation and commissioning of high-power charging stations, and configuration and control systems from electric bus manufacturers

  • Support the design and develop test scripts for charging equipment, participate in system testing, quality control, corrective and preventive action testing and recording results and reports

  • Create and maintain electric bus battery and heavy-electric vehicle performance reports, cost and data analysis, and develop regular management reports

 

For more career resources, like us on Facebook at City of Edmonton Jobs and check out #StudentSaturdays!

 

Qualifications 
:
  • Currently enrolled in an electrical engineering co-op or equivalent post-secondary work experience degree program

  • Excellent organizational and multitasking skills

  • Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to maintain strong working relationships

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a collaborative member of a team

  • Ability to take initiative and coordinate collaborative work

  • Demonstrated ability using Microsoft Office Suite and Google Apps

  • Familiarity with electronics, electrical circuits, power harmonics, single line diagrams, PLC programming and thermodynamics/battery systems are assets

  • Valid Alberta Class 5 driver’s licence (or provincial equivalent) is an asset

 

*Please note, if selected, at the time of your interview, you will need to provide an unofficial transcript, and an enrollment verification letter (indicating you are enrolled in a co-op or related post-secondary work experience degree program)

 

We are an equal opportunity employer.

We welcome diversity and encourage applications from all qualified individuals.

 

Hours of Work: 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday

 

Salary Range: $27.046 - 31.552 (Hourly)

 

Recruitment Consultant: SFH/SA

 

If you are a student with a disability that requires accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact: Mark Farr, Recruitment Outreach and Program Consultant, People with Disabilities at 780-496-2851




   
Classification Title :   STU 4 YR Eng

Posting Date

 :   Jan 14, 2019

Closing Date

 :   Jan 21, 2019 11:59:00 PM MST

Number of Openings (up to)

 :   1   -   Student Position   Full-time
Union :   CSU 52

Department

 :   Fleet and Facility Services

Work Location(s)

 :  
Mitchell Transit Garage, 11904 - 154 St  

 

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On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 7:57 PM, M. Parsons said:

Which isn't entirely correct since the TTC will have 60 from 3 vendors, possibly Edmonton's entire fleet arrives into 2021.

Which isn't entirely correct for another reason too: Battery buses aren't the only type of electric bus - fuel cell and trolleybus are electric buses too. ETS previously had 100 (electric) trolley buses and Vancouver has ~ 270 . It is an uphill battle to get journalists to understand this.

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On April 12, 2019 at 5:06 PM, martin607 said:

Which isn't entirely correct for another reason too: Battery buses aren't the only type of electric bus - fuel cell and trolleybus are electric buses too. ETS previously had 100 (electric) trolley buses and Vancouver has ~ 270 . It is an uphill battle to get journalists to understand this.

I am more than well aware of Edmonton's trolley buses thank you, but, trolleybuses are fast becoming the minority among electrically propelled buses in North America. The best hope for the trolley bus is in motion charging. If cities don't embrace that, good bye to the trolley coach. 

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8 hours ago, M. Parsons said:

I am more than well aware of Edmonton's trolley buses thank you, but, trolleybuses are fast becoming the minority among electrically propelled buses in North America. The best hope for the trolley bus is in motion charging. If cities don't embrace that, good bye to the trolley coach. 

I wasn't criticising you, I quoted you and then added a point.  I'm not sure why you are upset by my post. I am tired of seeing ignorant journalists writing articles like "the first electric bus ...etc. etc.." in trolleybus or ex-trolleybus cities. 

Is your comment about trolleybuses being a minority correct yet? There are just under 1000 trolleybuses (ETBs)  in US and Canada. How many battery buses (BEBs) are actually in service on transit systems (exclude airport shuttles etc.) yet?  It may be a year or two before the BEBs currently on order actually overtake the ETB population.

In Motion Charging (IMC) has become the norm for trolleybuses ordered in recent years in Europe. It has given the use of trolleybuses a whole new lease of life, enabling system expansion at relatively low cost, conversion of diesel routes to electric and some new systems are on the way e.g. Prague. Trolleybuses with IMC represent a significant segment of the total electric bus market.

The situation is different in N. America. In the USA the joint order for trolleybuses for Seattle and San Francisco specified IMC, but so far the use of the off-wire function seems to be confined to diversions etc. rather than permanent extensions or route conversions. Here's an example from San Francisco, where routes 30/45 will be running on battery on 4th Street until construction work finishes.

http://www.sfmta.com/blog/3045-lines-return-stockton-and-4th-streets

It would be good if some N.A. systems saw the possibilities of using trolleybuses with IMC, but the media and political atmosphere in N. America is quite different from Europe and the agenda is dominated by uncritical support for 100% battery buses. There is heavy marketing and no doubt political lobbying behind the scenes. In a way it is good that BEB systems are being inaugurated on a larger scale, as this will demonstrate both the strengths and the limitations of 100% battery buses. One would hope that over time the market will sort things out and that pure BEBs and trolleybuses with IMC will each be used for the applications for which they are best suited.

 

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I'm actually not sure now if this is an ETS bus or not. The white paint didn't seem too much of a stretch given that the TTC's buses are coming into Canada all white. 

However, the bus has a 3-bike bike rack while ETS uses a 2 bike rack. There's no camera system on the exterior. The bus has a South Carolina plate.

DSC07991.thumb.jpg.39c3519e9f2010955dd26365dd94872a.jpgDSC08021.thumb.jpg.2faad4f803a97f00984b2052b52b8c06.jpgDSC07983.thumb.jpg.088de6fafb7a7f3f70444bfea5e74cb4.jpg

It's possible this is a demo unit to start testing and commissioning the equipment being installed in Centennial, and even for training, if perhaps the ETS buses are running behind.

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ETS Tweeted around the time I posted after the first bus was unloaded. This indeed the first of two buses for testing purposes only. Not sure if they would count as pilot buses or not (any changes could be applied to the production buses) or if they just went this route for reasons unknown at this time. 

https://mobile.twitter.com/takeETSalert/status/1174421949864239104?p=v

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