Sixty new electric buses that will operate in routes in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn were recently introduced by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The buses, purchased with nearly $70 million in formula funds from the Federal Transit Administration, feature electric traction drive systems that allow buses to recover up to 90 percent of energy during braking and to reduce wear and tear on brakes.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working closely with the New York Power Authority to build the required infrastructure to power a zero-emissions bus fleet.
The Power Authority also installed 17 bus charge points at Grand Avenue Bus Depot in Queens. The systems dispense energy through roof-mounted arms that automatically connect with the buses.
An additional 46 charging points are under construction at the Herkimer lot in East New York in Brooklyn and the Charleston facility in Staten Island. They are expected to be complete by 2025.
A on-street pantograph that will serve buses between daily runs will soon finish construction at Williamsburg Bridge Plaza in Brooklyn.
During phase two, 220 overhead pantograph charging systems will be installed at Grand Avenue and four other depots in Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Several depots also will require electric distribution upgrades from Consolidated Edison.