King County Metro electric bus
Cleaner, quieter electric buses dramatically reduce reliance on fossil fuels and help cut carbon emissions, King County Executive Dow Constantine said. (King County Metro Transit Photo)

Traffic congestion in the booming Seattle region may not get any better in the near future, but at least King County Metro Transit’s fleet of buses will be getting greener.

Dow Constantine
King County Executive Dow Constantine. (Facebook Photo)

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced on Tuesday that Metro will be purchasing up to 73 all-electric battery buses at a cost of up to $55 million. The initial purchase from Proterra, out of Burlingame, Calif., will be for 20 buses totaling $15.12 million. Eight of those vehicles are scheduled to go into service this year and 12 more in 2019, according to a news release on the King County website.

Charging stations to support the initial orders of buses will range from $5.5 million to $6.6 million. The 40-foot battery buses have an estimated range of about 25 miles, with a quick charging time of just 10 minutes.

Metro is committed to testing new technology in its effort to transition to a fleet of all clean-energy vehicles.

“From our electric trolley bus fleet to building the nation’s largest diesel-hybrid bus fleet, King County has long been an innovator in clean vehicle technology,” Constantine said in a statement. “Now, we’re dramatically expanding our zero-emission electric buses and working with the industry to innovate and offer next generation vehicles that move people quietly and cleanly while helping meet our climate goals.”

Metro plans to spend approximately $7 million to acquire up to nine long-range electric buses from different manufacturers to test battery technology with a range of about 140 miles. The agency is challenging the industry to produce buses that can travel farther, it said, and is “calling on the industry to develop 60-foot long buses, better able to replace the articulated buses that make up 55 percent of its fleet.”

Metro was the first transit agency to adopt diesel-electric hybrids, and it currently operates more than 170 electric trolley buses. Read more about the agency’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

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