Montgomery County Rolls Out First All-Electric Ride On Buses

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County on Thursday rolled out its first four all-electric Ride On buses.

These 35-foot buses, manufactured by Proterra, are part of the county's plans to build a more sustainable transportation fleet and eliminate greenhouse emissions by 2035.

Each bus is about four to five times more efficient than a diesel bus and costs roughly $793,500, according to a county press release. They were funded by a $1.75 million grant awarded from the Federal Transit Administration Low or No Emission Competitive Program.

"I'm thrilled that we are embarking on this important and necessary effort. Electric buses are a critical part of the county's strategy to use innovative technology to reduce fuel consumption, cut emission of harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases, and reduce the environmental impact of the county's fleet," said County Executive Marc Elrich. "The grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration is helping us meet our goal of eliminating greenhouse emissions by 2035."

The zero emission buses will service routes 18 and 25, which cover parts of Langley Park, Silver Spring, and Takoma Park.

The goal is add 10 more electric buses to the Ride On fleet by 2022.

"These electric buses are only the first step in a strategy to convert the entire transit fleet to electric, fulfilling the county's commitment to a clean environment ...," said David Dise, director the the county's Department of General Services.

DGS is developing a micro-grid to support electric bus charging at the Silver Spring Transit Depot, where the buses will be based. The micro-grid is designed to operate independent of the power grid and charge buses with electricity generated by onsite solar panels. It's expected to be commissioned in 2021, according to officials.