WASHINGTON — Metro announced plans to purchase up to 10 new battery-electric buses as part of its plan to transition to a "zero-emission fleet."
According to a press release from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), the new purchase is just the first step in transitioning to a zero-emission bus fleet no later than 2045.
Metro has requested to buy 10, 40-foot standard-length buses from multiple manufacturers to test different buses and charging technologies and assess their performance. Metro will also separately buy chargers for the buses and install infrastructure to support the chargers, WMATA said.
Through a separate grant, Metro also plans to test the new buses with two 60-foot battery-electric buses.
The battery-electric buses will operate out of Metro’s Shepherd Parkway Bus Division located in an Opportunity Zone encompassing low-income and economically distressed communities, and will serve routes across the District, Maryland and Virginia.
“Investing in a zero-emission bus fleet will contribute significant environmental and health benefits to the region by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving regional air quality,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld in a statement. “Zero-emission buses, including battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses, produce no tailpipe emissions while providing customers with a clean, quiet, and more comfortable ride.”
Metro put its first electric bus on the roads in 2017 and have used it to assess needs as Metro plans to transition all of its 1,500 buses to 100% zero-emission models.
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