The City of Anaheim, Calif., and Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) have been awarded a $2 million grant from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) to replace aged liquefied natural gas (LNG) with zero-emission battery electric buses from vehicle producer Arrival.
Funds provided as part of the FTA’s Low or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Program Projects will assist in the purchase of five 40-foot Arrival buses. The project also includes workforce development programs, whereby ATN will partner with local community colleges that have electrical and mechanical engineering programs to provide internships to eligible students for workforce experience in the zero-emission transportation industry.
“In addition to ATN’s own investments, we have been actively seeking grant funding opportunities to ensure we can meet our goal of becoming California’s first all-electric bus fleet by 2025. This investment brings us that much closer,” says Diana Kotler, ATN’s executive director.
Arrival says its “microfactories” use in-house technologies – including software, hardware and robotics – to design and produce EVs. The company’s first microfactory in the U.S. is in Rock Hill, S.C., where the buses for ATN will be produced.
“We are so pleased that ATN has chosen Arrival to support its transition to an entirely electric bus fleet and have been impressed with its commitment to sustainability, including its solar-powered charging depot,” says Mike Ableson, CEO of Arrival. “The Arrival bus will change the face of public transportation when it hits the roads, making bus journeys clean, efficient, equitable and enjoyable for riders, drivers and operators.”