electric bus
PVTA has purchased three electric buses from bus company Proterra, similar to the one seen above.
(Proterra)
HOLYOKE -- A new set of buses will soon roll through the city, ones that run on electricity.
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority of Western Massachusetts will introduce three electric buses to the P21 route that connects Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield in September.
The buses will offer a cleaner, quieter ride and long-term savings, administrator Mary L. MacInnes said.
Each bus cost $860,000 to purchase, about twice the price of an average diesel fueled bus. Though electric buses feature a higher sticker price they cost less to operate without the need to refuel at the pump.
"Over the life of each vehicle, we should save $350,000 in maintaining and operating costs," MacInnes said.
This savings of $350,0000 over the lifetime of a bus - 12 years, on average - is due in large part to lower fuel costs. The cost per mile of charging the electric bus is 19 cents, according to bus company Proterra. A typically diesel bus gets 3.86 miles per gallon, according to figures provided by Proterra.
The electric buses can travel up to 80 miles on a single charge and take between five to 10 minutes for their batteries to fully recharge. Electric bus charging stations will be built over the summer at the Holyoke Transportation Center and the new Union Station in Springfield.
Electric buses also look and sound different than a standard bus. The vehicles provide a quieter ride, as was demonstrated in Sweden last year when musicians performed a series of a cappella concerts on the bus, uninterrupted by screeching breaks or the sound of an accelerating motor.
The local transit authority is following a trend being implemented in other parts of the country. About 17 percent of buses in United States are gasoline-electric or diesel-electric hybrids, though few are fully electric, like the new PVTA models. By 2030, one in five transit buses are expected to be zero-emission vehicles, according to CALSTART, a not-for-profit that works to provide clean transportation.
Before the three new buses are in service, the PVTA is working to obtain funding for two more. MacInnes is applying for a federal grant to pay for a pair of electric buses to operate in Amherst.