Diesel is still the cheapest alternative; the future bases on hydrogen
December 1, 2008
Experience of one of the biggest European companies for public transport BGV (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe) has shown that diesel is still the most efficient propellant among different alternatives when all costs are taken into account.
BGV operates through its extended technical support network and own repair and service areas that provides excellent conditions for testing of new technologies and alternative fuels as well. Their rolling stock of more than 1300 busses thus enables to the company quite relevant evaluation of different fuel costs that influence on the final cost estimation.
BGV has many experiences with testing of different fuels. In middle 80’s they purchased methanol-powered busses, which final costs were about 28% higher as traditional diesel busses. A decade later, they tested methane-powered busses, which brought out 20% higher final costs in comparison with diesel. Diesel-electric hybrid busses in middle 90’s brought out some positive results with 10% lower fuel consumption, but there appeared higher purchasing and maintenance cost for these vehicles.
Through the development, BGV pays extra attention on ecological demands, so all their vehicles have been using diesel soot filters since 2000. Currently is diesel-powered engine with soot filter the most economical choice, when all aspects, economical and ecological are considered.
In last couple of years, BGV has spent most of its development time on testing hydrogen-powered engines. This ecological technology has currently one disadvantage, which is hiding in high purchasing costs for vehicles. Next generation of hydrogen-powered engines is going to low down purchasing costs of rolling stock.
Positive final cost estimation should convince public transport companies to consider economical and ecological factors and stimulate them to switch on hydrogen power. Hydrogen cells will surely play big role in the future but everything depend on oil prices that has fallen down in last month due to economical crisis…
