Starting Dec. 1, ABQ Ride will be testing two, new all-electric buses on two of its routes.
On Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, ABQ Ride will deploy a 40-foot, BYD Battery-Electric bus on its Route No. 40/D-Ride through Downtown Albuquerque throughout the day.
Then on Dec. 3, ABQ Ride will also deploy a 60-foot, articulated BYD Battery-Electric bus on its Route No. 766-Rapid Ride/Red Line. ABQ Ride employs articulated buses on its Rapid Ride routes.
The buses are made by BYD Electric at a plant in Lancaster, California. They are touted as the world’s first long-range, battery-electric buses. Both produce zero “tail pipe” emissions. The 40-foot. bus has a range of 150-plus miles on a single charge. The 60-foot bus has a range of 170-plus miles on a single charge. They also allow for low floor loading and simplified maintenance.
“We are studying these buses for technology considerations,” said Bruce Rizzieri, director of ABQ Ride. “If there are ‘zero emission’ transit vehicles available that can meet Albuquerque’s transit needs, and lower our carbon footprint, I want to take a look at how these vehicles operate on the road.”
