The MTA is getting plugged in to the future, with a test program of ten all-electric buses for routes in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, getting underway. In addition to being zero-emission, the new EV buses offer such high-tech features as USB ports and on-board Wi-Fi.
It’s a three-year program to test how well the environmentally-friendly electric buses work on NYC streets, in all temperatures and road and traffic conditions, including winter snow and sleet, and how far they travel between charges.
If the all-electric buses pass the test, they will be the first of a fleet of nearly 100.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the pilot in April as part of Earth Week 2017, saying that with the launch of these electric buses, saying NYC is “taking one more step toward reducing New York’s greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change and help secure a cleaner greener future for all.
Five test buses are from Proterra, and will serve the B39 and B32 routes in Brooklyn and Queens. The electric bus company is installing six charging stations at the Grand Avenue Bus Depot in Queens.
Proerra EV buses can travel 1,000 miles between charges, more than enough to get around Brooklyn and Queens in a day.
The other five EV buses are from New Flyer, and will run on the M42 and M50 crosstown routes in Midtown. New Flyer will install two charging stations in Manhattan’s Michael J. Quill bus depot near the Javits Convention Center.
Additionally, the MTA has ordered 110 new compressed natural gas to replace older buses that operate in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Electric buses by Proterra, New Flyer and Volvo, among others, already operate in cities in Europe, Asia, and South America.
And all-electric 18-wheelers are being manufactured, too, including by Tesla, with up to 1,000 horsepower and 300 mile range.
“As part of our mandate to modernize all of the MTA’s operations, we’re constantly looking at new ways to lower our carbon footprint, and minimize impact on our environment. The leasing of the first five electric buses is an important step forward in that overall mission, and builds on the MTA’s already considerable contribution toward making New York the state with the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in the United States,” said Ronnie Hakim, Interim Executive Director of the MTA.
New York State has the lowest per capita energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the nation thanks, in part, to the MTA public transportation network, which serves two-thirds of the state’s residents.
MTA’s transit operations actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million metric tons annually, offsetting its production of 2.1 million metric tons of emissions a year during operation of subways, buses and commuter railroads.
photo and rendering courtesy MTA
Great idea!
Yes. About time, isn’t it, since cities around the world have had EV buses for years. NYC should not be so late to the game.
Evelyn Kanter
NYCOTC Editor