Earlier this year, Laketran — the transit agency serving Lake County, Ohio (pop. 230,000) just northeast of Cleveland — opened the doors on a new facility. The Frank Polivka Transit Center is the state’s first electric bus charging facility. It houses six ABB E-mobility 450 kW chargers used to charge … [continued]
Adding to the tally of electric buses hitting the roads around the United States, the city of Spokane in the state of Washington just did its part (for now) by adding 12 new electric buses to its modest bus service. The city of 220,000, located near the eastern border of … [continued]
In Pittsburgh, the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) just chose to add six more of New Flyer’s Xcelsior CHARGE electric buses to its fleet. These new buses are 40 feet long and are zero-emissions heavy-duty transit buses that will help the community to lower its collective carbon footprint.
The Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, lovingly known as MARTA for those of us who live or have lived (in my case) in the Metro Atlanta area, has made a purchase and a statement in favor of clean energy. MARTA ordered six Xcelsior CHARGE™ zero-emission, battery-electric 40-foot, heavy-duty transit buses from New Flyer.
I enjoyed a smooth, fresh-air ride on this quiet bus pictured below years ago. I know New Flyer produces kinder buses, cleaner buses, softer riding buses — more and more of them. The company also sets high standards.
For years, we saw North American cities order 3 or 4 electric buses at a time while Chinese cities ordered hundreds or thousands. It was frustrating and annoying, especially considering that electric buses had become cost-competitive with all other options 7 years ago in some places. Well, time marched on, and we’re finally seeing large orders of electric buses.
The race into fully electric long range buses is heating up as San Diego puts in an order for 6 of New Flyer’s new 40 -oot buses.
I enjoyed a ride on the New Flyer XcelsiorÆ electric bus thanks to the Sierra Club a couple of years ago. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority was collaborating with the Sierra Club on demos of future bus investments. The benefits of 100% electric transit are varied — they significantly limit toxic fumes and dirty particulates, the reduces headaches and asthma as a result, they’re quieter and comfier thanks to the smooth electric powertrain, and they eliminate reliance on expensive gasoline and diesel fuel.
New Flyer of America Inc., the largest transit bus and motorcoach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, announced this week that its Anniston, Alabama, facility completed its first full build of an Xcelsior CHARGE. The bus is an entirely electric, zero emissions, and is indeed a heavy-duty transit bus. I enjoyed a ride in the New Flyer XcelsiorÆ Electric Bus last year. I found it quiet, comfy, and smooth. It was the best ride quality I’ve found on a bus.
New York’s Columbia University will soon be home to 6 fully electric New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGE buses, now slated to go into service in 2018 as part of Columbia University’s Intercampus Shuttle network. This news follows a deal between New Flyer of America and Academy Bus.
