Ultracapacitor batteries are a poor fit for domestic cars, but are a unique fit for transit. Michael Graham Richard looks at how this technology is working on electric buses in China.
Ultracapacitors can be quickly charged and discharged, and can stand up to an unlimited number of cycles.
"The trick is to turn some bus stops along the route into charge stations, says Dan Ye, executive director of Sinautec [MAKER OF THE CHINESE BUSES]. Unlike a conventional trolley bus that has to continually touch an overhead power line, Sinautec's ultracapacitor buses take big sips of electricity every two or three miles at designated charging stations, which double as bus stops. When at these stations, a collector on the top of the bus rises a few feet and touches an overhead charging line. Within a couple of minutes, the ultracapacitor banks stored under the bus seats are fully charged. [...]"
Read the full story: Ultracapacitor Buses Work... As Long as You have Lots of Quick-Charge Stations
In California, electric school buses are powering 1,000 homes — and turning a profit
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello