Blacksburg Transit Thursday launched five battery electric buses in honor of Earth Day.
The all-electric buses, a first for the system, replaced five conventional diesel powered buses. BT is one of the first systems in the state to purchase electric buses.
BT Director Tom Fox said, “These buses are just the beginning of what will someday be a fully electric fleet of buses. Our goal is that in three to four years, half of the entire fleet will be electric and we will be 100% electric in about ten years depending on funding. This is a large step towards reducing our carbon footprint while also reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.”
On the first day of service, the buses operated on the Corporate Research Center (CRC) and Progress St (PRO) routes.
BT was one of three transit agencies awarded funding for electric buses in 2019 from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Department of Environmental Quality.
Additional financial support for the purchase of the vehicles was received from the Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech and further supports their ongoing climate protection initiatives.
