Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority Begins Going Green, Welcomes First Two Electric Buses
Wednesday, October 14th, 2020
BACKGROUND
It’s the moment MTA has been waiting for since winning a $1.75 million Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) grant in 2017 to purchase two (2) gleaming new electric buses.
MTA was the only transit authority in Georgia to win the grant, and only one of six (6) authorities nationwide to win the top dollar amount of $1.75 million.
In support of the electric buses, a $1.17 million charging station was built at 2737 Broadway, the site of MTA’s administrative offices and bus garage. Currently, the charging station is equipped to accommodate the two new electric buses. But with an eye toward the future, the charging station was retrofitted to accommodate a total of 12 electric buses.
MTA is grateful for the $1.17 million that Macon-Bibb County earmarked in SPLOST funds (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) in support of the required federal match for the charging station.
GET TO KNOW MTAs K9S ELECTRIC BUSES
The two K9S model electric buses were manufactured at BYD’s Coach and Bus Factory in Lancaster, California. BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is the largest manufacturer of electric buses in the world.
These K9S electric buses, affectionately named “Sparky” and “Bolt” by MTA provide a quiet, zero-emission ride, are 35-feet long, have a range of up to 215 miles, and a top speed of 62.5 mph. They seat up to 32 passengers and can be fully charged in 3 - 4 hours.
According to Patrick Duan, BYD North America Vice-President, “Our innovative battery-electric buses will help keep the air clean and lower MTA’s operating costs while providing a comfortable ride.”
MTA CEO Craig Ross says, “We have been working on this bold initiative for more than two years and are delighted to leap into the future. The citizens of Macon-Bibb County will be well-served by buses that utilize this clean, safe and efficient technology. We appreciate the fine work of our partner, Georgia Power, and its subcontractors who constructed the charging station. We thank John Hatch, BYD’s Regional Sales Manager, Southeast, and the factory team in Lancaster, California — all of whom have been invaluable throughout the process, including navigating a pandemic. The dual bus wrap design featuring a lightning bolt on one side and an electric plug on the other was chosen as an attention-getter highlighting our new green technology.”