A comparative energy and environmental analysis of a diesel, hybrid, hydrogen and electric urban bus

Highlights: • We compare different buses powertrains using energy and environmental analysis. • The study is framed to Argentina, Brazil and Chile and performed for 4 different buses. • The study was made for present (2017) and future (2030) scenarios. • We use 2 different standard driving cycles and 4 ranges. • An index to compare the energy and environmental sustainability is used. -- Abstract: In this work, a comparative analysis of energy and environmental performances, on four types of urban passenger buses powertrains was carried out within the well-to-wheel scope in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. The powertrains studied were: internal combustion engine fed with diesel, fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle fed with hydrogen, battery electric vehicle fed with electricity and hybrid electric vehicle fed with diesel. The aim of the study is to understand what the influence of the energy pathway, the electricity mix, the driving conditions and different ranges is, in the current and future deployment of urban passenger vehicles. We found that the electric vehicles are markedly superior in the tank to wheel step, nevertheless actions to improve their energy and environmental performance should focus on how to generate clean energy within the electricity mix and with what technologies. For the fuel cell powered buses to be competitive, the production share of hydrogen from wind or other zero emission technologies should be more than 50%. In Argentina and Chile, the buses with internal combustion engines are still an important alternative in the current scenario only for long ranges, instead Brazil turns out to be ideal the application of full electric buses.