Spokane Transit has been invited to participate in a state-wide evaluation of an all-electric bus produced by BYD Motors.
The zero-emissions bus debuts today in Spokane. “We are looking forward to running the vehicle for about a month,” said E. Susan Meyer, STA CEO. “We are always interested in exploring environmentally-friendly, cost-effective fuel alternatives.” The bus will alternate between routes 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 throughout March.
STA integrated the first hybrid diesel-electric buses into its fleet in 2007. That number has now grown to 28. STA’s hybrid buses have 17 percent better fuel economy than standard diesel buses and produce 17 percent less emissions. Eight new buses arriving this year will be fitted with an electric cooling systems technology that STA tested and found to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions by an additional 6 percent over buses using a conventional hydraulic cooling system. STA has also upgraded the transmission systems on its buses for additional fuel economy and emissions reduction.
STA’s testing of electric bus technology comes at an opportune time because the board will be making decisions about bus replacements planned for delivery in 2018-2019. "We are delighted to work with Spokane Transit,” said Stella Li, president of BYD Motors. “They have a visionary leadership team that desires not only the most reliable service, but also the most cost effective for their communities — we applaud their efforts to introduce a technology that will not harm the environment."
.
