Re: God forbid that I should base my conclusions on observation, right?
Author: That Bus Guy
Date: 10-06-2019 - 19:59
BOB2 Wrote:
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> I've been a long time supporter of hybrids and
> EV's having spent a considerable amount of time on
> a technical committee that funded and evaluated
> clean vehicle technologies. I've even served on a
> commission that oversaw the creation and
> subsequent operations of a municipal transit
> operator, so I am sorry that I've let my actual
> "experience" "cloud" my judgement, "my bad"....
>
> I am just so awfully sorry that I have offended
> your "true believer" sensibilities by using my
> observation of the limitations that have been
> encountered with battery power electric buses in
> actual operations to make that assessment on the
> issues these vehicles present, with the current
> technical limitations.
>
> I know that, as with the CAGSRA fiasco, that I am,
> as usual looking at these issues in terms of user
> needs, reliability, cost, efficiency, and
> fiduciary responsibility as staff, and my own self
> interest as a citizen and taxpayer, and I
> apologize for my "experience" based "politically
> incorrect" criticism of electric buses.
>
> Yes, I am quite aware of the significant
> maintenance savings possible with electric drives
> (just like the with the invention of diesel
> electric locomotives/the first "hybrid"). In fact
> some of the RAV4's I used to drive when working on
> some of these things for the Clean Cities
> Coalition were still on the road, as of about 3
> years ago. But, thank you for showing me the
> clear "error" of my "political incorrectness" for
> using my observations to note that there are still
> major cost, range, and reliability issues for
> electric buses, despite real savings in
> maintenance cost(which is true...).
>
> I will strive to make no further observations that
> may contradict your "true believer" sensibilities,
> and will eschew any use of observation, data,
> and/or math in any analysis of transportation
> issues, just so I won't get your knickers all in a
> twist.... I'll get right on that, just as soon as
> hell freezes over.....
>
> Or, I could just conclude that I've done a good
> job, by pissing off the "true believers" on both
> fringes, by using observation, data, facts,
> experience, and analysis to try an figure out how
> things work, and in my case, as an economist, if
> they are "worth" doing, with my taxpayer
> dollars....
There is no politics or political correctness or incorrectness in my statement. Just technology and having data on enough different communities experiences to draw conclusions.
I never challenged the observations in your community. I am challenging your tendency to generalize across the entire transit industry based on your conclusions of just one system whether its bus rapid transit or bus propulsion systems.
Has nothing to do with me being a "true believer." In my community, four models of battery electric buses have been demonstrated and two buses will be delivered in the next few months. Many in my community are hoping for good outcomes with electric buses, but how the technology will perform remains to be seen.
By the way, there are huge environmental problems with extraction of natural gas through fracking which are not sufficiently acknowledged by you.
Your combination of defensiveness, deflection and arrogance in your response to my post reflects poorly on you.