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Metro Tests Articulated Electric Bus on #70 Grand Line
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Riders on the #70 Grand, the busiest MetroBus route on the Metro public transit system, will get a chance to see the latest in bus technology as Metro test drives an electric articulated bus on the route, starting today, January 1.
“This is the fifth electric bus model we’ve tested on the system this year, but the very first electric articulated bus,” said Ray Friem, Executive Director of Metro Transit. “It will be exciting to see how this new technology responds to our most popular MetroBus route with the largest ridership, and determine if large, 60-foot electric buses can provide the efficiencies and cost-savings to be a sound investment for the transit system.”
The 60-foot articulated bus from BYD Co. Ltd. will operate on the #70 Grand route to give MetroBus operators and maintenance staff the opportunity to experience the battery-electric bus in action in cold weather.
Metro first introduced 60-foot articulated buses on the #70 Grand MetroBus route back in June 2014 to help address overcrowding. The #70 Grand route is about 10 miles long and currently serves about 9,000 boardings on an average weekday.
This model from BYD can safely operate on a single charge for well beyond 170 miles. The bus is powered by 360 kilowatt motors that will be recharged at a Metro facility each day. The battery takes less than three hours to recharge.
There are a number of reasons that Metro is considering adding electric buses to the MetroBus fleet. In addition to being environmentally-friendly, these buses could significantly reduce costs for fuel, parts and labor, and they typically require less maintenance over their life when compared to diesel-powered buses.
If you happen to board the 60-foot BYD electric bus during its test drive, we’d like to know what you think about it. Leave a comment below and tell us what you think.
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I have rode on an electric bus in Chicago several times. Very quiet and a smooth ride even over potholes in Chicago’s street. The purchasing of these type buses would not only cut costs dramatically but also be environmentally friendly. That’s worth the investment.
Thanks Kelly for your thoughts!
Given its range, can the electric bus be expected to do a full ‘tour of duty’ that a diesel bus would, before refueling or a recharge?
Chris, according to our engineers, this particular all-electric articulated bus would meet (and may even exceed) the range of a comparable diesel-powered articulated bus.
Seating arrangement sucks. Bad sight lines. The best interior is the interior of the articulated buses in Chicago. I’m not impressed with the model, though the shape is a bit slick, as well as the paint scheme, which Metro St. Louis should update on their fleet as well.
Shannon, thanks for the feedback. We’ll pass this along!