Initiative for an Alternatively Fueled Bus at the Appalachian Center for Craft

"Alternative fuel transit bus systems, also referred to as Low-No (low to no emissions) buses, are one way to improve upon urban air quality in the world today. By removing the diesel engine, you are also removing the tailpipe emissions that release harmful greenhouse gases – but what do you switch to: a battery-powered transit system.This switch will constitute a sharp decrease in air emissions, as well as help to save money and reduce carbon outputs in the region. A lot of students at the Appalachian Center for Craft depend upon the student shuttle bus to transport them to and from campus for classes, so improving the quality of this system will only add benefit to the environment. This will also constitute significant financial savings once implemented. Battery-powered buses may seem inefficient, but thanks to new engineering feats, some of these systems are now relying on fast-charge batteries which can provide enough electricity to power the bus for an hour of driving in only 4 minutes of charging time – however this data analysis is based upon the average, according to the Wall Street Journal of, “18 kilowatt hours per mile,” (WSJ, 2011.) Our poster demonstrates the savings that this change could allocate for the Appalachian Center for Craft through comparative analysis of charts, diagrams, and real-world case studies as well as federal and state grant opportunities to explore this sustainable technology.