San Joaquin Regional Transit District opens 1st all-electric bus rapid transit route in US; all routes to be electric by 2025
19 August 2017
The San Joaquin (California) Regional Transit District (RTD) is converting its existing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Express Route 44 to 100% battery-electric buses this month. That BRT route will be the first in the US to feature all-electric bus service. The BRT buses were designed and built by California-based Proterra.
At the time of the conversion, Route 44 will be extended to serve passengers from the Downtown Transit Center (DTC) in Central Stockton to as far south as Qantas Lane near Arch-Airport Road. The change will enable people who work or study at locations such as PG&E, Dorfman Pacific, Venture Academy, San Joaquin County Office of Education, and the Economic Development Department Qantas Lane office, to commute rapidly and economically.
The electric buses can travel up to 40 miles or 2 hours on a charge. The RTD charging stations take about 10 minutes to completely recharge a bus.
The price of each bus is approximately $850,000. RTD received grant funding to cover the cost of the new electric buses.
RTD will launch a second all-electric BRT route in January 2018 along the MLK corridor in South Stockton. That route will connect with RTD’s existing three BRT corridors.
In further support of RTD’s commitment to its clean air initiatives, RTD’s Board of Directors passed an official resolution to declare its intent to convert to 100% electric buses for all routes serving the City of Stockton by 2025.
Another hand to California, this time with the implementation of large e-buses on regular routes.
If only the other 49 States would do as much?
Posted by: HarveyD | 19 August 2017 at 07:50 AM
HD:
I think many of the transit systems would change over to EBs in a NYC minute just based on the saving alone. EBs are 6 x less expensive to operate than CCG or diesels. The problem is resolving into they can't build them fast enough.
Posted by: Lad | 19 August 2017 at 12:04 PM
Up to ten major manufacturers are currently or in near future producing large e-buses.
BYD (China) and Proterra (USA) seems to be current leaders but many other majors are geering up and will be in full production by 2018/2020.
Batteries energy capacity limitation, extended life, high cost and slow charging impede more sales.
Posted by: HarveyD | 19 August 2017 at 01:51 PM
This will help clean the air that they get from Sacramento.
Posted by: SJC | 20 August 2017 at 11:31 AM