MTA Plans to Lease Ten Electric Buses This Year to Test Technology in New York Operating Environment; All New Buses will Feature WiFi and USB Ports
Lease Follows Successful Completion of Study of Best Practices in Electric Bus Market; Cleaner, More Efficient Engines Eliminate Car Exhaust
Announcement Coincides with Earth Week and Supports New York’s Commitment to Protecting the Environment
Renderings Available Here
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that the MTA is beginning an electric bus pilot program that will launch with a total of 10 buses in December 2017. As part of the new pilot, the MTA has secured board approval to lease the first five electric buses. A lease for an additional five buses will be presented to the MTA Board later this year. The pilot program will test the performance of these electric buses in New York City and evaluate the results to determine future orders of all-electric buses. Electric buses are fundamentally more quiet and efficient than gas engines, and make their immediate environment cleaner by eliminating car exhaust. The announcement coincide with Earth Week, a weeklong celebration of New York's commitment and accomplishments to protect our environment.
"As we continue to transform and reimagine the MTA, it is critical that we focus on long-term sustainability," Governor Cuomo said. "With this, we are taking one more step toward reducing New York’s greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change and help secure a cleaner greener future for all."
The pilot program is intended to provide the MTA and manufacturers of electric buses with actionable data on what works best in New York’s metropolitan environment. The MTA will use the results from the pilot to refine and develop bus specifications for future electric bus procurements to ensure buses are fully able to meet the rigors of operating in New York City. As a result, the initial lease and evaluation of buses does not eliminate any other builders from future competitive procurements.
Ronnie Hakim, Interim Executive Director of the MTA said, "As part of our mandate to modernize all of the MTA’s operations we’re constantly looking at new ways to lower our carbon footprint, and minimize impact on our environment. The leasing of the first five electric buses is an important step forward in that overall mission, and builds on the MTA’s already considerable contribution toward making New York the state with the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in the United States."
Selecting Manufacturers & Leasing Electric Buses
After a study of best practices from systems across the US and around the world, the MTA has identified two vendors to manufacture a total of ten electric buses, which will be leased for test and evaluation over a period of three years in the New York City operating environment. The first of those vendors, Proterra, was selected to provide over-night charging electric buses which will be operated on routes including the B39 and B32 in Brooklyn.
The lease of an additional five buses from a second vendor, New Flyer, with en-route opportunity charging, will be presented to the Board later this year. The New Flyer buses will operate on the M42 bus route in Manhattan. These contracts are subject to MTA Board approval as well as review and approval by the Office of the New York State Comptroller.
Charging Stations
The $4 million, 3-year lease for the Proterra buses includes six depot charging stations, which will be installed in the Grand Avenue Depot in Maspeth, Queens, where the buses will be recharged overnight. The first leg of the pilot will also include one ‘en-route’ charging station, which will be located at Williamsburg Bridge Plaza in Brooklyn, and be used to extend the range of the buses by quickly recharging without having to return to the depot. The plaza is the hub for nine routes in Brooklyn. These routes could also be used to evaluate All-Electric Bus service over the course of the three-year pilot.
Best Practices Review
In preparation for the study the MTA conducted a review of global best practices for electric buses. The process included a review of reports from systems in Europe, Asia, and South America; involvement in industry groups such as the Electric Power Research Institute, the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Public Transportation Association; in-person visits and consultations with transportation authorities in London, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Montreal; and testing and inspections of buses from a variety of suppliers.
Future Electric Bus Procurements
The pilot program is intended to provide the MTA and manufacturers of electric buses with actionable data on what works best in New York’s metropolitan environment. The MTA will use the results from the pilot to refine and develop bus specifications for future electric bus procurements to ensure buses are fully able to meet the rigors of operating in New York City. As a result, the initial lease and evaluation of buses does not eliminate any other builders from future competitive procurements.
New York State + MTA = Green
New York State has the lowest per capita energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the nation thanks, in part, to the fact that two-thirds of the state’s residents live and work in the region served by the MTA’s various properties, including the Long Island Rail Road, Metro North, and MTA buses and subways.
While the MTA produces 2.1 million metric tons of Greenhouse Gas Emissions a year, its transit operations actually reduce the emissions by 17 million metric tons annually. The MTA is the first transit agency to quantify such emissions on a regional basis, and does so as part of its ongoing mission to measure all of the benefits of public transportation.
