TriMet To Purchase 5 Electric Buses With $3.4 Million Federal Grant

PORTLAND, OR — Electric buses in Portland? Yes, that apparently may soon be a thing thanks to a federal grant awarded to Portland public transit agency TriMet. On Wednesday, TriMet spokesman Tommy Moore announced the new buses could be unveiled by Fall 2018; but first, Moore said, "We need to kick the tires, so to speak, of the newest generation of electric buses."

The grant — totaling $3.4 million — comes from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and is part of the Low or No Emission Vehicle program (or, the Low-No Program), Moore said in a statement. The program officially seeks to help state and local governments fund the purchase or lease of zero-emission and/or low-emission transit buses as well as acquire, construct, and lease battery charging equipment.

As part of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, $55 million per year is available nationally until 2020. The FAST Act is legislation signed in 2015 by President Barack Obama authorizing the investment of $305 billion between 2016 and 2020 for various roadway safety, infrastructure, and research and technology programs.

"We're strongly encouraged by the development of these battery electric vehicles and believe that an all-electric fleet is not just TriMet's future but the future for the entire transit industry," TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane said in a statement. "However, before TriMet can go all-in on electric, this pilot project will give us valuable firsthand experience to understand how the technology performs in our operating environment including running in hilly terrain."

With its $3.4 million grant, TriMet plans to purchase five battery-powered electric buses, as well as the necessary charging infrastructure, Moore said.

"We originally planned to purchase four of the buses, but with PGE's support we are able to add a fifth bus," he said. "The new buses being purchased have battery packs and electric motors instead of fuel tanks and combustion engines. These buses will have the fuel efficiency equivalent of 24 miles per gallon, reducing fueling cost by as much as 80 percent over regular diesel or hybrid buses."

PGE is partnering with TriMet to purchase, own, and maintain the charging apparatuses, Moore said, noting this is not TriMet's first experience with electric buses.

"We put two diesel-electric hybrids on the road back in 2002 and currently operate eight hybrids put into service in 2012 and 2015," he said. "Once they arrive, the five 40' New Flyer Xcelsior Battery Electric Buses will travel on bus route 62-Murray Blvd., which runs between Washington Square Transit Center and Sunset Transit Center, along Scholls Ferry Road, Murray, Millikan, Hocken, Jenkins, Cornell and Barnes. The route will cover 13 miles, with service from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week."

According to the TriMet timeline, the five new buses will be purchased between August 2017 and June 2018, with charging hardware purchases and installation occurring from September 2017 to June 2018. Testing and training will take place from July to September 2018, with the grand opening tentatively scheduled for Fall.

"The Portland metropolitan area's population is growing quickly," McFarlane said. "We're excited about this next step in our transportation efforts, which will help TriMet do its part to reduce emissions as the population, and in turn the number of vehicles on the road, continues to increase."

Photo Courtesy: TriMet