Link Transit has been operating electric buses for three years, and now has a fleet of 12 electric buses powered by four high-power 300 kW inductive chargers.
According to Link Transit General Manager Richard DeRock, the operating cost of the electric buses is about 51 percent of a diesel-fueled bus.
Momentum Dynamics installed the first wireless charging system at Link in late 2017 and more recently completed installation of four 300kW inductive chargers in 2021, three at Columbia Station and one in Leavenworth, Wash. These four shared chargers support all of Link's electric buses and help keep them in service throughout the day.
"[Momentum’s wireless chargers] charge our electric buses for a few minutes on the layover between routes and provide additional range, allowing our buses to stay in service for 12 to 14 hours a day – even during the harsh cold of winter,” said DeRock. “Buses typically end their day with 40-50 percent of battery charge remaining, even on the coldest days. The cost savings are real and measurable. Along with the availability of inexpensive, clean, renewable hydro-power from the Columbia River and lower maintenance costs, it makes expansion of our fleet of battery-electric buses a financially sensible solution to combating climate change."
To replace aging diesel buses and allow for service expansion, Link will take delivery of three more 35-foot buses in early 2023 and another eight 30-foot buses later in 2023, all of which will use Momentum's wireless chargers to help extend range and allow for operational efficiency.
"We are very pleased to support Link Transit in their drive to a healthier future in an economically beneficial way," said Andy Daga, CEO, Momentum Dynamics. "Wireless charging makes fleet management very efficient because the system delivers increased range and eliminates the need for a depot full of cables and chargers."
