Research & Consulting

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Zero Emissions Bus
Consulting Services

The culmination of CUTRIC’s highly sophisticated modelling tools, Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Consulting Services help transit agencies, utilities and other allied organizations reach their decarbonization and electrification goals scientifically and neutrally. It includes RoutΣ.i™ 2.0, deCarbonify™, ZevMapper™, CloudTransit™ and more.

CUTRIC offers a full suite of services to support its clients throughout the process of decarbonization from technology feasibility assessment to full fleet ZEB implementation considering the current status of assets, identified needs, associated costs, benefits and risks along with operational data analysis and validation. CUTRIC has a client-focused service delivery model and the toolsets that CUTRIC offers are highly customizable to suit the client’s needs and specifications.

ZEB CONSULTING SERVICES

How to Begin Your
Decarbonization Journey

CONSULTING

Transit Decarbonization &
Fleet Electrification

The Canadian government is encouraging transit agencies across the country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve fleet decarbonization. As a result, the projects, commitments, and affiliations related to zero-emission buses (ZEB) have been catching the eye of the public and other interested parties. At CUTRIC, we offer ZEB consulting services that are backed by experienced and knowledgeable subject-matter experts to help transit agencies align their operations with decarbonization and fleet electrification goals.

The path to zero emission transportation does not need to be complex. Our ZEB consulting services include a feasibility assessment, modelling, deployment strategies and post-deployment assessments. Our consultants are here to collaborate with your team to help you deliver a sustainable project. We’ll analyze, educate, counsel, and assist clients in creating a strategy that aligns with goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the goals for decarbonization set by the Canadian government. To get started with our ZEB consulting services, contact CUTRIC today.

What Our Members Are Saying

Member Testimonials

CUTRIC is playing a critical part in Translink's transition to a zero-emission bus fleet. The key things they bring to the table is professional project management and governance. Our project is complex and we have new technology that we are dealing with. Prompt technical service and technical expertise is a must, as well as deep experience in the sector and subject matter expertise. Working with CUTRIC has helped us learn about new areas that we didn't even realize we would need down the road.

We greatly appreciate the high quality of CUTRIC's staff and their unique position in the sphere of ZEB knowledge. Having an impartial resource to verify the performance of a new technology gave us confidence and credibility as we committed our transit system to ZEBs and supporting infrastructure. Our decisions were made on the foundation provided by CUTRIC ZEB Consulting Services, not on performance claims from vendors or counterclaims from alternative energy sources.

"CUTRIC ZEB Consulting Services provides excellent value for services, applies strong project management principles in execution of deliverables, and always keeps a strong client-focused approach. CUTRIC worked with us to provide the required reports, both unabridged and abridged, for our needs under considerable time pressures. Our ongoing feasibility and implementation planning are complex, involving multiple technical variables and specifications. CUTRIC continues to be proactive in maintaing the triple constraint and manages changes in a detailed and transparent manner. We are long-term supporters of CUTRIC’s work and their technical expertise"

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start the process of transit electrification?

Transit electrification is a complex process and can be challenging without proper planning. Engaging CUTRIC to understand your transit agency’s needs and goals is a great first step.

CUTRIC was commissioned by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to develop a process map with ten essential steps for zero-emission bus implementation planning. The plan walks you through a step by step guide, starting with strategic analysis, followed by feasibility analysis, cost analysis, benefit analysis, risk analysis, need analysis, demonstration trial, procurement and empirical data analytics. Further details on the process map can be found here.

How does a transit agency know whether a battery electric or fuel cell electric bus is most suitable for them?

Predictive performance modelling using RoutetΣ.i™ 3.0 or RoutΣ.i™ Lite can help you understand the suitability of various Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) technologies specific to your respective transit systems. CUTRIC’s modelling tools enable a transit agency to understand the ease of decarbonization of various blocks/routes, cost savings, GHG emission reductions and many more important variables.

How does extreme weather conditions affect the operation of ZEBs?

High temperature amplitudes can lead to an increased battery energy consumption rendering specific blocks/routes unsuccessful in electrification with a 1-to-1 replacement ratio of conventional buses. RoutΣ.i™ 3.0 and RoutΣ.i™ Lite predictive performance modelling consider a spectrum of best to worst case scenarios to help a transit agency understand the operational patterns under various energy intensive situations.

How do local physical features of routes affect the operation of ZEBs?

The frequency of starting and stopping as well as the topographical conditions have a direct impact on the energy consumption of the vehicles. CUTRIC relies on a detailed Geographical Information System (GIS) analysis to capture a variety of physical features. The elevation profile is captured along with all the traffic impediments such as stops signs, pedestrian crossings, speed limits and. RoutΣ.i™’s deep dive analysis is vital to ensure the most accurate simulation for each route/block in the system.

How much cost savings can be achieved by deploying electric buses while compared to diesel counterparts, keeping in mind that electric buses are capital intensive?

Calculating electric bus cost savings is not as simple as one might imagine. CUTRIC considers dynamic operational costs along with capital expenditure to engage in detailed return on investment (ROI) calculations for transit agencies. The RoutΣ.i™ 3.0 modelling tool can estimate the operational cost savings of electric buses in relation to conventional vehicles considering local and regional specific markets and regulations.

Are electric buses 100% clean? How about the emissions incurred during the production of electricity or hydrogen fuel?

No single industrial activity is completely clean. Although electric buses do not have any tailpipe emissions, the production of the electricity or hydrogen fuel required to operate electric buses incurs the emission of GHGs. CUTRIC works with full life cycle assessments (LCA) of energy resources while calculating the GHG emission incurred by the production, transportation and operation of fossil fuels and energy/fuel for ZEBs. BEBs and FCEBs can be very clean when the electricity or hydrogen used comes from clean and renewable sources. For compressed natural gas (CNG) buses running with renewable natural gas (RNG), several methods of production of their fuel with different levels of carbon intensity exist. A precise answer to this question depends heavily on the local properties of the local power grid being considered.

What is RNG? Can RNG be carbon-negative?

The RNG acronym stands for Renewable Natural Gas. It is produced by the decomposition of organic matter in a biological process called anaerobic digestion. RNG is usually produced by using waste from landfills, agricultural residues and water treatment plants. The fuel can have a negative net carbon intensity because methane has an elevated potential for causing global warming. Thus, capturing methane that would otherwise be emitted to the atmosphere through other economic activities has a profound positive impact on the environment.

What would you recommend in terms of transit electrification? Replace all the buses at once or a phased approach?

It would be wise for transit agencies to adopt a phased approach, beginning with decarbonizing the routes identified as optimal, establish a learning model, and ramp up the procurement and operation. Predictive performance modelling and rollout planning using RoutΣ.i™ 3.0 provides a transit agency with an electrification plan identifying the exact routes to begin with and a detailed step by step guide to reach full electrification.

Would it be necessary for a transit agency to make modifications to its existing blocks while electrifying the fleet?

Generally, it is not possible to fully electrify an entire transit system with a 1:1 replacement ratio in relation to conventional buses. Block re-design and schedule optimization could be instrumental in keeping the spare ratio low while achieving a high level of success. Predictive modelling and rollout planning using RoutΣ.i™ 3.0 can help transit agencies understand the block modifications that would be required.

The on-route chargers for battery electric buses are capital intensive. Would it be necessary for a transit agency to have those chargers to successfully run battery electric buses?

Although the answer to this question is transit-system-specific, usually a good portion of blocks can be electrified without on-route chargers. A complementary solution such as on-route charging, hydrogen fuel cell electric buses or CNG buses running with RNG may be required to transition an entire system to zero emission buses. CUTRIC’s RoutΣ.i™ 3.0 tool has the capability of advising on the selection of the technology that may be more appropriate locally.