NV: RTC of Washoe County to Celebrate First Electric Buses

The RTC invites the public to celebrate the addition of four brand new battery-electric buses to its fleet with a community celebration on April 14 at RTC 4th Street Station on Evans Avenue.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will attend the RTC event to celebrate the launch of the new buses made possible with a federal grant from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation/Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Local and state dignitaries and representatives from Proterra Inc. will join Senator Reid to mark the occasion.

The new acquisition adds four new Proterra battery-electric buses to the RTC’s regional service. These buses will be recharged at the downtown Reno transit center’s FastFill charging station while on route using advanced wireless controls that facilitate the docking process and eliminate any intervention from the driver. Buses are charged in 5-10 minutes while passengers load and unload. The RTC is the first public transportation agency in the state of Nevada to use all-electric buses in its fleet adding to its hybrid-diesel electric buses already in service.

Some of the benefits of these new buses include reduced fuel use, lower maintenance costs, lower emissions and quieter vehicles. RTC Executive Director Lee Gibson said, “The RTC continues to invest in the community’s transit system to provide residents and visitors transportation choices and access to sustainable healthy transportation.”