Despite an unprecedented year for riders and the transit bus industry, cities across the globe are continuing to invest in their communities for brighter days ahead. With quiet, zero-emission solutions hitting the road, it won’t be long until you’re taking a ride on a Cummins-powered zero-emission transit bus.
The GILLIG zero-emission battery electric bus powered by Cummins was first unveiled in 2017 and since then both organizations have worked diligently to engineer, the electric transit solution has accelerated production and is available for all cities to meet their carbon neutral goals.
With the transit electric powertrain reaching the production phase and these solutions hitting the market, it’s important to acknowledge a few of our milestones. Join us as we highlight some of our successes and take you on a bus ride like no other.
Hawaii
First stop, Hawaii. The City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (DTS) was the first to pursue our new electric offering and added their first electric bus to their fleet, TheBus. Funded by the FY2020 Low-No Emissions Bus Program grant award from the Federal Transit Administration, the 40-foot bus can service the majority of the current bus routes in Honolulu.
Utah
Next on board is Utah. With high hopes of being predominately electric by 2028, The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is now shifting their attention to electrified power solutions. UTA recently awarded Cummins with our largest electric transit bus order to date. Given the large area UTA serves, length of service on a single charge is important. Depending on duty cycle, the Cummins Battery Electric System (BES) can achieve approximately 200 miles of high-quality service before needing to recharge. When the bus does need charging, UTA plans to use existing charging depots in the Salt Lake City area and aims to consider in-route charging options down the road.
Cummins and GILLIG are also collaborating closely to ensure readiness and product familiarization to demonstrate our full support and gain customer confidence with this product right off the bat.
Canada
Taking a ride, from USA to Canada, the Canadian transit bus startup, Letenda, has designed a 30-foot bus, specifically intended for electric propulsion. Working to create a future that will bring zero-emission solutions, Letenda first partnered with Cummins in 2017 to help formulate a plan to integrate our BP74E battery pack into their bus. With the powertrain being delivered last year, their first demonstration transit bus is now in operation.
Momentum is continuing to build, and Cummins is ready to support communities on their path to zero emissions with our range of alternative power solutions. As you go about your travels, keep an eye out for Cummins-powered zero-emission transit buses. If you happen to take a trip on one, be sure to snap a photo and tag us on social media!
