MBTA's new electric hybrid buses to be powered by BAE Systems
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has ordered 194 electric-hybrid buses that will include BAE Systems Series-ER extended range propulsion system.
The company says it is delivering its Series-ER system with a higher capacity battery to help Massachusetts reduce emissions and noise pollution on its transit bus routes. The Series-ER system – which uses electric motors instead of diesel engines to power the buses – builds on the company’s technology that is saving more than 22 million gallons of fuel and 250,000 tons of CO2 each year across the globe.
BAE notes that it has provided more than 10,000 electric-hybrid, battery-electric and fuel-cell electric systems with half of those deliveries made in the past three years.
“Our new technology provides Massachusetts with an innovative and practical electric-hybrid solution,” said Steve Trichka, vice president and general manager of the Power and Propulsion Solutions business at BAE Systems. “This system provides clean electric operation that can be rapidly scaled now to help Massachusetts reap the benefits seen in thousands of buses worldwide.”
BAE explains that by moving to a Series-ER system, a fleet can operate a portion of the day electrically with the engine off, reducing maintenance, idling, fuel use and emissions.
"Transit operators are embracing this technology because it gives them zero emission travel without the need to stop and charge the bus and it eliminates the need to invest in costly charging infrastructure. Cities like Nashville are using Series-ER technology to drive on battery-electric power near hospitals, schools and in the downtown tourist area, and Boston plans to use the technology to drive through their tunnels with zero emissions," the company stated.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
