Currently e-buses cost more to buy than diesel buses but over the life of the bus they are about 25% cheaper (Total Cost of Ownership, TCO). Here is an example of how that works.
On TCO basis, there are savings of $50,000 per bus per year to be had on operating costs (dep’n, fuel and maintenance). That’s a 5 year payback on the initial $250K higher price. The remaining ten years of the bus’ life, result in $500K savings. And the savings go up once e-Buses cost the same to buy as diesel buses.
At some point between 2025 and 2030, e-buses will cost less than diesel buses to buy, ensuring that e-buses will be lower cost from day one.