Maryland Department of Transportation Makes Plans for Total Electric Bus Fleet

(Credit: Maryland Transit Administration)

by | Dec 22, 2021

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(Credit: Maryland Transit Administration)

Following Maryland’s Zero-Emission Bus Transition Act as well as the growing need to stay on top of technology and replace its aging fleet, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) is planning to move to zero emission buses.

MDOT MTA will deploy battery electric buses during the initial years of the transition and it will also evaluate hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This will allow the agency to purchase the most up-to-date and smartest technology as advancements occur in the industry, according to the agency.

The transition plan also allows MDOT MTA time to develop infrastructure, including charging stations, to efficiently operate the new buses, the agency says.

The Zero-Emission Bus Transition Act requires that all new buses purchased for the state’s transit fleet be emission free beginning in 2023. MDOT MTA has also committed to converting half its bus fleet to no emissions by 2030 without disrupting services.

MDOT MTA says transitioning to the electric buses will cut nearly 500 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions between 2025 and 2030.

Additionally, the agency set its fleet transition goals based on targets outlined in the Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan and the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act Plan set by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Buses are the biggest near-term opportunity for electric implementation, according to BloombergNEF’s 2021 Electric Vehicle Outlook. BloombergNEF says by 2025 electric bus sales outside of China, which currently holds 98% of the market, will grow to 14,000, up from 5,000 in 2020.

Cities across the United States are implementing electric buses for their public transport fleets. New York City began a $39 million project to retrofit its infrastructure to support an electric fleet, which it hopes to have entirely in place by 2040.

The price of batteries, which make up 40% of the cost of electric buses, has also fallen significantly, which has helped spark growth in the market. An estimate by Global Market Insights has the electric bus market growing by 11% annually through 2027.

Maryland’s zero emissions bus program will launch in 2023 with seven new battery electric 40-foot and 60-foot articulated buses at MDOT MTA’s Kirk Division. That division is scheduled to become Maryland’s first 100% electric bus facility by 2026.

The Northwest Division will begin a retrofit in 2025 with electric buses arriving in 2026. The Eastern Division is set to begin reconstruction in 2026 and MDOT MTA says it will be one of the few facilities designed specifically for zero emission buses, and it will be home to a fleet in 2028. The system’s Bush Division will go through similar infrastructure investments in 2030.

“The phased conversion of MDOT MTA’s bus fleet to clean, efficient, zero-emissions buses is a critical element of our systemwide modernization,” MDOT Secretary Greg Slater says. “We’re using technology and innovation to improve service, operations, connectivity and the rider experience. Zero-emission buses serve that mission, and also advance Maryland’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.”

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