Metro Transit in St. Louis is preparing to launch its first battery electric vehicles in 2021 with Ameren Missouri, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), New Flyer, GILLIG, and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE).
Two 60-foot heavy duty battery electric articulated buses, the first of 14, have arrived in the city, authorities said. Manufactured by New Flyer of America, each bus has 320 kilowatts of battery storage, enough to power 10 2,000-square foot houses for an entire day. The buses will operate on the #70 Grand MetroBus route, Metro’s business route carrying about 10 percent of Metro’s customers per day.
Another four 40-foot battery electric buses made by GILLIG are scheduled to be delivered next year.
The transit agency estimates the battery electric buses will save the city $105,000 in diesel fuel and another $125,000 in maintenance costs over the buses’ life due to their lack of combustion engines and transmission systems. The typical life of a battery electric bus is 15 years.
All 18 of the zero-emission electric buses are funded through FTA grants (80 percent) and local sales tax sources (20 percent).
“The introduction of these battery electric buses into the MetroBus fleet next year represents our commitment to providing economically and environmentally sustainable mobility options as well as an excellent transit experience for our riders,” said Jessica Mefford-Miller, Metro Transit Executive Director. “We will be leaner and greener by introducing this battery electric bus technology, not just with the buses but also through the charging infrastructure and operating facilities.”