The Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) in Southern California has ordered 40 zero-emission buses from BYD (Build Your Dreams), a battery-electric vehicle manufacturer with North American headquarters in Los Angeles.
The buses range in size from the 30-foot BYD K7M to the articulated 60-foot K11M. Half of the order will comprise the 40-foot BYD K9M. Importantly, the variety of BYD buses will allow ATN to efficiently service a range of routes in the Anaheim Resort, which is home to Disneyland, among other sites.
“We’ve been operating four of BYD’s 40-foot K9Ms on our routes over the past two years, and based on their performance, we are confident in BYD’s quality product and their support of our efforts to electrify our fleet,” says ATN’s executive director, Diana Kotler. “These new buses will provide ATN a 57 percent zero-emission fleet by 2020.”
A private, nonprofit transportation management association, ATN was created to develop and operate the Anaheim Resort Transit for the Anaheim Resort district system and surrounding areas in the city with clean fuel shuttles.
“Residents and visitors to the Anaheim area will enjoy the benefits of a quieter ride, a cleaner environment and the reliability of zero-emission buses manufactured by BYD,” notes Bobby Hill, vice president of BYD coach and bus. “We’re proud to help ATN reduce the region’s carbon footprint.”
ATN was one of 28 California projects selected in 2018 to receive a grant from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), which provides awards from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to help finance reduction-of-emission capital improvements. In addition to TIRCP, ATN was also awarded funds for this project from the State of California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project vouchers, the Anaheim Tourism Improvement District, and the City of Norwalk.
The bus order will be placed through two existing statewide contracts with BYD in Washington and Georgia, which other local governments and transit agencies can leverage.
