Governor Ned Lamont, joined by officials from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and Greater Bridgeport Transit, today unveiled the first two battery-electric buses entering public service in the State of Connecticut at an event at the GBT Intermodal Transportation Center. The buses feature zero tailpipe emissions and will use 125 kWh electric bus chargers installed at the GBT bus maintenance facility. Each replacement of a diesel bus with an electric bus will avoid 230,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year – the equivalent of planting 5,000 trees.
These are the first buses to enter service under CTDOT’s electric bus initiative. CTDOT is looking forward to a future where all transit vehicles are powered by electricity. This will be a gradual transition at first, but will accelerate as the costs for battery electric buses and facility upgrades become more affordable at scale. These programs will not only improve the customer experience, but will improve air quality and noise levels for those who live in the communities served by these buses.
“This program illustrates our commitment not only to public transportation and the thousands of Connecticut citizens who rely on it every day, but also to the environment,” Governor Lamont said. “This green technology is state-of-the-art and will serve us for years to come with clean, safe, reliable service, which is the best way to get people out of their cars and onto buses and trains.”
