New York Transit Agency to Test All-Electric Buses

The state is using funds from Volkswagen’s ‘Dieselgate’ settlement to support the transition to electric mobility, governor says.

byKate Gibson|
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New York's transit agency will try out all-electric buses as part of the state's effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. 

Ten electric buses will be in operation starting this month, a spokesperson for Governor Andrew Cuomo told The Drive

The three-year pilot program will have the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ordering another 60 all-electric buses, based on what the agency learns during the initial phases.

"As we overhaul and reimagine the MTA, we have an opportunity to not only modernize our bus fleet but to reduce emissions that impact the environment and public health," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.

Beyond supporting environmental sustainability, The new zero-emission, all-electric buses are quieter than traditional buses and will include consumer perks such as Wi-Fi and USB ports.

Additionally, the MTA has ordered 110 new compressed natural gas, or CNG, buses that'll operate across the Bronx and Brooklyn between now the first quarter of 2019. CNG buses have lower particulate emissions than diesel buses.

The MTA selected Proterra to provide five overnight charging electric buses, which will run on routes in Brooklyn and Queens. It picked a second vendor, New Flyer, for five buses that'll operate in midtown Manhattan. 

The pilot will have a high-power charging station at Williamsburg Bridge Plaza in Brooklyn, a hub for nine routes that serve three boroughs. 

In an address last week, Cuomo said New York would invest funds from the Volkswagen 'Dieselgate' settlement to support the transition to electric mobility. The plan including increasing the number of publicly-available EV charging stations to 10,000 by 2021.

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