R2ZE News
2016 Low and No Emission Vehicle Deployment Projects
Jul 27, 2016 | DOT Federal Transit Administration
An overview of transportation programs across the U.S. with low and no-emission projects during the 2016 fiscal year.USDOT Announces $55 Million in Grants to Transit Agencies to Deploy Clean Buses
Jul 26, 2016 | DOT Federal Transit Administration
The FTA today announced selections for an expanded Low or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Competitive Grant Program that reflects growing interest in new technology buses. Twenty transit providers in 13 states will receive a share of $55 million for transit buses and related technology that replaces aging diesel fuel buses with battery-electric or fuel cell-powered vehicles and incorporates other innovations.Clean, State-of-the-Technology Buses to Hit the Streets
Jul 26, 2016 | DOT Fast Lane Blog
Our years of work researching low or no-emission buses have paid off, providing the basis for FTA this year to oversee an annual grants program with dedicated funding for new technology buses, the Low or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Competitive Grant Program.- Zero Emission Buses Discussed at U.S.-China Climate Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Summit
Jun 8, 2016 | DOT Race to Zero Emissions Challenge
Leaders from 49 Chinese municipalities and 17 U.S. cities, states, and counties met in Beijing on June 7-8 to discuss progress on climate change reduction efforts at the second annual U.S.-China Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Summit.
- Race to Zero Emissions Announced at U.S.-China Transportation Forum
Jun 3, 2016 | DOT Race to Zero Emissions Challenge
On June 3, 2016 at the 8th U.S.-China Transportation Forum in Los Angeles, California, the Race to Zero Emissions was officially announced by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and China Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang.
- 2015 Low and No Emission Vehicle Deployment Projects
Apr 19, 2016 | DOT Federal Transit Administration
An overview of transportation programs across the U.S. with low and no-emission projects during the 2015 fiscal year.
Zero Emission Buses News
OCTOBER
BYD Honored for Clean-Tech
Oct 24, 2016 | Ecns.cn (Beijing, China)
BYD Motors, the U.S. arm of the Chinese automaker and rechargeable batteries firm BYD Co Ltd, has received a clean-tech award for its contribution to improving the environment in Long Beach, California. Long Beach Transit (LBT), a municipal transit company, is the award co-honoree for the city's zero-emission electric bus program. Both companies received the Green Partners CleanTech Award on Oct 21 from the Long Beach-Qingdao Sister City Association (LBQA).TARC Becomes One of the Largest EV Bus Operators With 15 Proterras
Oct 21, 2016 | Inside EVs
The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) in Greater Louisville is adding six new electric buses for a total of 15 in operation. With the addition the service is clearly one of the largest fleets of electric buses to be found in the U.S. The electric buses in this case are also being utilized at the city’s most popular destinations, which makes them even more visible to the public.Toyota to Introduce 100 Fuel Cell Buses Ahead of Tokyo Olympics
Oct 21, 2016 | Next-Gen Transportation News (Oxford, CT)
According to the company, Toyota plans to introduce over 100 fuel cell buses mainly in the Tokyo area, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In view of this, the FC buses will be sold for the first time in Japan in early 2017 so as to encourage the utilization of fuel cell buses as a form of public transportation.Ballard Power Systems Deploys 10 More Fuel Cell Buses in China
Oct 19, 2016 | Next-Gen Transportation News (Oxford, CT)
Canada-based fuel cell company Ballard Power Systems says it has commissioned and deployed 10 fuel cell-powered buses in the City of Yunfu, in the Chinese province of Guangdong, as part of the government’s larger plan to address air quality in urban centers through zero-tailpipe-emission mass transit solutions.$8.1 Million for New MTD Fleet
Oct 12, 2016 | The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL)
Twelve new buses — with a total price tag of $8.1 million — were formally introduced to the streets of Champaign-Urbana on Tuesday. The 40-foot, near-zero-emission, diesel-electric hybrid buses cost more to purchase but less to operate and are cleaner and quieter than traditional diesel buses.
SEPTEMBER
Air Products to Install Hydrogen Station, Fuel Supply for SARTA
Sep 29, 2016 | Next-Gen Transportation News (Oxford, CT)
Air Products, a global supplier of hydrogen to refineries to assist in producing cleaner-burning transportation fuels, says that it will provide a new hydrogen fueling station and liquid hydrogen supply to Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) for its zero-emission bus fleet. SARTA will begin fueling buses next month and plans to grow its fleet to 10 buses over the next two years.UM Will Become First US Campus to Launch Zero-Emission, Fast-Charging Electric Buses This Week
Sep 29, 2016 | KVGO (Missoula, MT)
The Associated Students of the University of Montana will launch its first zero-emission vehicles this week. ASUM Office of Transportation Director Jordan Hess says these two new buses are very efficient.BruinBus Transit Fleet Ditches Diesel and Goes All Clean Fuel
Sep 27, 2016 | UCLA Newsroom (Los Angeles, CA)
UCLA became the first public university in California with electric buses today, when two zero-emissions electric buses replaced the last diesel buses in the BruinBus transit fleet. Combined with the 14 current compressed natural gas, or CNG, buses in UCLA’s fleet, UCLA’s first electric buses switch the BruinBus fleet to all clean fuel, and continue to reduce the university’s reliance on fossil fuel.Long Beach Transit Unveils 1 Of 10 Electric Buses To Be Added To Fleet In November
Sep 26, 2016 | CBS Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
The Long Beach Transit on Monday rolled out one of 10 new battery-powered electric buses it will add to its fleet in the first week of November. The battery on each of the bus is supposed to hold a charge of about 150 miles, about a day’s worth of transit. The Long Beach Transit said it spent $11 million on the environmentally friendly buses and a wireless charging system.Metro Will Soon Start Testing New Electric Bus In Greater Houston
Sep 23, 2016 | Houston Public Media (Houston, TX)
Metro’s fleet has over 1,200 buses. Some run on clean diesel, others are hybrids, and there’s a few that run on compressed natural gas.
What Metro doesn’t have is an all-electric bus, but that could soon change. Starting in December, Metro will try out a bus that operates solely on battery power. It’s manufactured by Proterra, a California-based company, that produces zero-emission vehicles.TriMet Charges Ahead with Electric Buses
Sep 20, 2016 | Sustainable Life (Portland, OR)
Thanks to a $3.4 million federal grant, TriMet is adding electric buses to its fleet. It’s another step forward for the regional transit agency, which is reflecting an industrywide shift toward more sustainable transportation methods. TriMet already has eight hybrid buses in its fleet of about 675 buses and with the federal grant will be adding four electric buses in 2018.BYD Adding Capacity and Personnel to Its California Bus and Truck Plant
Sep 16, 2016 | HybridCars (Toronto, ON)
BYD is getting ready to grow its manufacturing plant and presence in the U.S. zero-emission bus and truck market. Chinese automaker BYD said that its launched the second of three expansion phases at its manufacturing plant in Lancaster, Calif. Located about 70 miles north of Los Angeles, the plant is expected to see an additional 40,000 square feet added to the existing facility.China’s Electric Bus Giant Plans Rapid Growth in US
Sep 14, 2016 | Global Construction Review (London, UK)
BYD Auto, one of the world’s largest electric bus and truck makers, announced yesterday that it planned to quadruple the size of its manufacturing plant in California. The factory in Lancaster covers 8,000 square metres now and makes 300 vehicles a year. Under the plans, the plant will grow to 37,000 square metres, increase its employees from 300 to 1,000, and turn out 1,000 vehicles a year.- Proterra Catalyst® E2 Series Sets New Industry Precedent with a Nominal Range of up to 350 Miles
Sep 12, 2016 | PR Newswire (New York, NY)
Today at the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Annual Meeting, Proterra, the leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, unveiled the newest addition to its fleet of zero-emission vehicles: the Catalyst E2 series, named for its unprecedented Efficient Energy (E2) storage capacity of 440 - 660 kWh. Its nominal range of 194 - 350 miles means the Catalyst E2 series is capable of serving the full daily mileage needs of nearly every U.S. mass transit route on a single charge and offers the transit industry the first direct replacement for fossil-fueled transit vehicles.
AUGUST
- Decade of Efforts to Keep Hangzhou's Skies Blue
Aug 31, 2016 | CCTV (Beijing, China)
Hangzhou has traditionally been known as boasting the beauty of heaven on Earth. And the city’s authorities have been working hard to make sure Hangzhou lives up to that reputation, by cleaning up the air. Clean water and a clear blue sky are must-haves for a city with tourism as a pillar industry. To clean up the environment, the city’s government has deployed modern technology, for example, replacing diesel buses with electric buses.
- MetroLINK Buying Two New Battery Electric Buses to Add to Fleet
Aug 26, 2016 | WQAD News 8 (Moline, IL)
MetroLINK is dipping into the battery-powered bus world with the roll-out of two brand new buses. The company will be buying the zero-emissions vehicles, and if the buses are a popular selection with riders and drivers, MetroLINK could make an even bigger investment in the buses over the next four years. The move to get the buses comes as the Chicago Transit Authority is investing $30-40 million in electric-based transportation.
- Who Makes Electric Buses? BYD, Mercedes, Proterra...and Tesla Says it Will
Aug 26, 2016 | Green Car Reports (Palo Alto, CA)
Electric cars get lots of attention from advocates and policymakers, but private passenger vehicles are hardly the only ones on the road. In most cities, for example, they share the streets with lumbering buses—usually powered by big diesel engines, sometimes in hybrid drivetrains. Slowly but surely, though, electric buses have gained traction in the U.S., Europe, and China.
Cities Take the Electric Bus to Fight Climate Change -- and Save Money
Aug 23, 2016 | TakePart (Beverly Hills, CA)
Forget Tesla—the big new thing in electric transportation is the battery-powered bus. Cars, buses, and trucks account for about a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. But only 1 percent of the country’s 70,000 buses are electric. The market is growing, though, and electric and hybrid buses are expected to account for 5 percent of new purchases this year.Electric Vehicle Company Expanding in Foster City: Motiv Power Systems Top Zero-Emission Powertrain Manufacturer for Trucks, Buses
Aug 18, 2016 | The Daily Journal (San Mateo, CA)
Move over dirty diesel, there’s a growing electric vehicle company in town hoping to make zero-emission trucks and buses the wave of the future. Thursday, Motiv Power Systems is celebrating its expansion into its new Foster City headquarters alongside a slew of local dignitaries, tech gurus and environmental advocates excited to promote the company’s dedication to sustainability.Louisville Adds 6 All-Electric, Zero-Emission Buses: TARC Now Has 15 Electric Buses
Aug 4, 2016 | The Lane Report (Lexington, KY)
Transit Authority of River City (TARC) has begun adding six new all-electric, zero-emission buses along the Fourth Street corridor between downtown and Iroquois Park in Louisville. With the new buses, TARC will have a total of 15 all-electric buses on the road, making it one of the largest electric bus operators in the country.UTA to Introduce Zero-Emission Buses Next Year
Aug 2, 2016 | KUTV (Salt Lake City, UT)
(KUTV) Utah Transit Authority, in partnership with the University of Utah, will introduce a fleet of five battery-powered buses as early as next year. A $5.4 million grant from the Federal Transit Association will allow UTA to purchase and study the fleet. It will serve downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah.
JULY
Long Beach to Build New Station to Showcase New Zero-Emissions Buses
Jul 25, 2016 | Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA)
Long Beach Transit’s leadership plans to spend nearly $1.5 million to build on a new bus station to recharge and show off its incoming fleet of zero-emissions buses. The transit provider’s leadership has committed to putting zero-emissions buses, manufactured by BYD Motors Inc., on Long Beach streets by the end of this year.- Sneak Preview of SEPTA's New Electric Buses During DNC
Jul 19, 2016 | Bizjournals.com (Philadelphia, PA)
Commuters, and maybe a few visiting delegates, will get a sneak preview of SEPTA's new electric buses during the Democratic National Convention next week.
- It's Rush Hour for Urban Electric Buses
Jul 13, 2016 | Greenbiz.com (Oakland, CA)
Amid recent attention to the transportation emissions of the urban core — with the US and China announcing a "race to zero emissions" in electric bus deployment and California issuing $23 million in grants for manufacturers to build EV big rigs for ports — there’s also the private sector idea of sharing technology.
- Route to a Greener Future Includes Zero Emissions Buses
Jul 5, 2016 | San Gabriel Valley Tribune (Monrovia, CA)
Every day, passengers at Foothill Transit’s Pomona Transit Center see something unusual: battery-electric buses pausing at the station to charge between dropping off and picking up passengers.
JUNE
- US-China Climate Smart Low Carbon Cities Summit Opens
Jun 8, 2016 | CCTV.com (Washington, DC)
US Secretary of State John Kerry and China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi have kicked off the second US-China Climate Smart Low Carbon Cities Summit in Beijing.
- US, China Kick Off Race to Zero Emissions Challenge
Jun 6, 2016 | ITS International (Kent, UK)
US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and China’s Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang unveiled the US-China Race to Zero Emissions (R2ZE) Challenge during the eighth US-China Transportation Forum in Los Angeles and invited cities and transit agencies in the two countries to join in.
- 公交零排放 美中启动绿色目标
Jun 4, 2016 | US China Press (New York, NY)
【侨报记者聂达6 月3 日洛杉矶报道】6 月3 日, 于洛杉矶千禧酒店举办的“第八届中美交通运输论坛” 上,联邦交通运输部部长 安东尼·福克斯 与中华人民共和国交通运输部部长 杨传堂,首次共同提出为实现中美绿色能源合作的“中美零排放公交项目”,并为该项目举行揭牌仪式。
- US and China Announce Race to Zero - Competition to Improve Air Quality in Urban Areas and Spur Growth of Global Market for Emission Free Buses
Jun 3, 2016 | Marketwired (El Segundo, CA)
The transportation leaders from the United States and China today announced the creation of the "Race to Zero Emissions," a competition between cities in the two countries to determine which one will deploy the highest percentage of emission free buses by 2025. The race is designed to improve air quality in urban areas and prevent climate change.
MAY
- PVTA to Introduce Electric Buses on Holyoke-Springfield Line
May 17, 2016 | Mass Live (Holyoke, MA)
A new set of buses will soon roll through the city, ones that run on electricity. The buses will offer a cleaner, quieter ride and long-term savings, administrator Mary L. MacInnes said.
- COMO Connect Expands the Pure-Electric Bus Fleet
May 10, 2016 | Sustainable Cities Network (Columbia, MO)
COMO Connect announced that it is expanding its fleet by adding zero-emission, all-electric buses into service starting in June to better serve customers and reduce operational costs.
- Philadelphia Makes Largest Transit Investment in Zero-Emission Buses in US Northeast
May 7, 2016 | CleanTechnica
Metro.us reports that Philadelphia will experience the largest transit agency investment in zero-emission buses in the US Northeast, according to Gina Coplon-Newfield, director of the Sierra Club’s electric vehicles initiative.
APRIL
- SEPTA to Add 25 Electric Buses Next Year
Apr 21, 2016 | Philly.com (Philadelphia, PA)
A grant of nearly $2.6 million will bring emissions-free electric buses to Philadelphia streets. The Federal Transportation Administration grant, announced Tuesday, will help pay for 25 electric buses from Proterra, a California-based manufacturer. Matt Horton, one of the company's senior vice presidents, said SEPTA's order was one of the largest from a major transit agency.
- Chapel Hill Takes Step Toward Cleaner Transit with New Buses
Apr 17, 2016 | Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, NC)
The Chapel Hill Town Council recently approved two resolutions to replace up to 53 buses with newer, energy efficient diesel buses. The resolution aims to replace the town's older buses, 42 of which are over 14 years old.
- First Fully Refurbished, All Electric Bus Has Made its Way to Frederick County TransIT
Apr 7, 2016 | Your4state.com (Hagerstown, MD)
Some buses running on Frederick County’s TransIT system will not have a loud engine anymore. Instead, they will have batteries, making them the first fully refurbished, all electric buses running on the East Coast.
MARCH
- SolTrans Orders First 2 Electric Buses
Mar 22, 2016 | Businesswire.com (San Francisco, CA)
Solano County Transit (SolTrans) has made a historic decision to purchase two forty foot zero emission electric buses from the global electric vehicle leader BYD Coach & Bus.
- Lane Transit District Plans Upgrades to Glenwood Headquarters Before Arrival of First Electric Buses
Mar 16, 2016 | The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
FEBRUARY
- AVTA Contracts with BYD for 85 Electric Buses
Feb 22, 2016 | The Antelope Valley Times (Lancaster, CA)
During a special meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority’s board of directors voted to award BYD a contract to manufacture up to 85 electric buses over a five year period.
- DART Gets $7.6 Million from Feds to Buy 7 All-Electric Buses
Feb 5, 2016 | The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX)
The Federal Transit Admission just announced it’s giving the transit agency $7,637,111 to purchase seven all-electric buses as part of its D-Link fleet serving downtown and North Oak Cliff.
- Duluth to Receive Six Electric Buses
Feb 3, 2015 | Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, MN)
With wraparound windshields fit for the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, the future of busing is coming to Duluth in 2016. The Duluth Transit Authority was awarded grants for electric buses and charging stations worth more than $6.3 million by the Federal Transit Administration on Monday.
- UM Orders Zero-Emission Electric Buses for UDASH Fleet
Feb 2, 2016 | University of Montana (Missoula, MT)
The Associated Students of the University of Montana recently announced its decision to “go electric” with the purchase of zero-emission battery-electric buses. With approval by the Montana University System Board of Regents, the student-led transit agency will be the first in the U.S. to bring fast-charging electric buses to a University fleet.
JANUARY
- CTA Poised for Massive Expansion of Electric Bus Fleet
Jan 17, 2016 | Chicago Sun Times (Chicago, IL)
The CTA is primed for a major expansion of its electric bus experiment now that it can use an $8.1 million federal grant to buy as many as 27 zero-emission “green machines,” the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
- Stark County to Use Clean Energy in Buses
Jan 5, 2016 | Beacon Journal (Akron, OH)
Stark County will soon become home to the largest fleet of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses outside of California. Stark Area Regional Transit Authority held a ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday for the transit authority’s new hydrogen fueling $1.6 million facility off Gateway Boulevard Southeast in Canton that will service the seven-bus fleet when completed.
Zero Emission Buses Events
- 2016 International Zero Emission Bus Conference and 10th Edition Fuel Cell Bus Workshop
Nov 30 - Dec 1, 2016 | London, UK
The International Zero Emission Bus Conference and the 10th Edition of the Fuel Cell Bus Workshop, held with the support of the Mayor of London’s Office, will take place on November 30th & December 1st, 2016 at London, City Hall.