The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the public transit agency serving New York City and surrounding areas, recently completed pilot testing of a 40-foot, all-electric transit bus from BYD Co. Ltd.
‘The general purpose of the program was to evaluate how an electric bus could perform in New York City's heavy traffic; whether the electric bus can meet the twin challenges of operating in the stop-and-go traffic of Manhattan while maintaining high levels of passenger comfort and operational performance,’ said the MTA's Kevin Ortiz.
During the two-month test, the bus traveled a total of 1,481 miles on more than a half dozen regular MTA bus routes. The vehicle was able to achieve a range of 140 miles per full charge in heavy traffic, which translates to about 30 hours of uninterrupted operation. Charging occurred overnight in three- to four-hour intervals during off-peak electric grid hours.
BYD is currently building all-electric buses for fleets including Long Beach Transit Authority and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro).
