Can transit buses benefit from the research and development investments being made in the passenger and commercial vehicle sectors?

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) considered the technical and safety challenges of transferring vehicle automation systems from light-duty vehicles and commercial trucks into transit buses and found potential incompatibilities in the technology used in the foundational systems, such as braking, steering, and powertrain. The incompatibilities manifest especially in the control algorithms, sensors, communication of electronic commands, and electronic actuation of those systems.

This fact sheet summarizes the findings of this analysis; the full report provides more information on the difficulty involved in transferring certain automation systems from light-duty vehicles and commercial trucks to transit buses.