COTA to place first two electric buses into service on Oct. 11

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) expects to introduce its first two electric transit vehicles into service on Oct. 11 following extensive safety and efficiency testing at the Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC) and the Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research (CAR).

The new vehicles will operate on several routes daily and support COTA’s efforts to transition away from a diesel-fueled fleet.

“Our ambitious and achievable goals are for COTA to be diesel-free by 2025 with net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and these electric transit vehicles are the latest step we are taking to make this a reality,” said COTA President/CEO Joanna M. Pinkerton. “This is an integral part of COTA’s ongoing evolution of our fleet to ensure we are doing all we can to serve our communities and deliver environmentally responsible transportation solutions that will contribute to the health and prosperity of our neighborhoods.”

During testing, the new vehicles were driven over railroad crossties, bumps, potholes and other extreme events found on public roads to evaluate durability and reliability. Among the other tests performed at TRC and CAR were obstacle avoidance, braking performance, interior and exterior noise measurement, energy economy and energy consumption. COTA explains these also included dynamometer-based tests, which allow for the performance testing of acceleration, gradeability and top speed of the vehicles while stationary.

COTA’s current fleet is made up of 234 compressed natural gas vehicles, six diesel-electric hybrids, 79 diesel vehicles and the two new electric vehicles. COTA says it will continue to study the feasibility of electric coaches across its fleet.

The two initial buses entering service on Oct. 11 will be joined by eight additional electric 40-foot vehicles from New Flyer in 2022 that COTA’s Board of Trustees approved for purchase at its September meeting.