The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City has announced the integration of 265 new zero-emission solo buses. These will likely be supplied by New Flyer – even if this name is not mentioned in the official announcement.
The 265 electric buses were already part of earlier negotiations between MTA and New Flyer. At the beginning of 2024, the two parties signed a framework agreement for up to 1,420 electric buses to be delivered by 2029. The first 60 units were handed over in May 2024. The next delivery of 205 electric buses is scheduled for the end of 2025 – and in the meantime, both sides have negotiated an option for a further 265 battery-powered electric buses, which will be deployed at six depots from 2027.
The MTA has now apparently converted this option into a firm order but has not provided any details on the vehicle brand or timeframe in its latest announcement. There is only talk of 265 new zero-emission 12-metre buses, which will further contribute to the goal of operating a fleet of 5,800 electric buses by 2040.
The MTA intends to use the new electric vehicles “routes across the city.” Above all, however, the investment should help to “improve air quality in Southeast Queens.” The Jamaica Bus Depot in Queens will be electrified to accommodate electric buses on a larger scale from autumn 2027. The transport authority is not more specific about the number of future depot charging points. However, it does mention that the buses will primarily be charged via inverted pantographs and that the MTA is working closely with its partners, New York City Transit, New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Con Edison, on energy solutions for the depot. The MTA announcement also mentions the conversion of bus depots in the five boroughs. For example, 205 additional pantograph charging systems are currently being installed in Gun Hill and Queens Village to integrate the 205 electric buses from New Flyer expected at the end of this year.
The state of New York has also decided to subsidise the further electrification of the MTA fleet. The public transport operator will receive just under 20 million dollars from funds via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, while the Federal Transit Administration will grant another 70 million dollars.
“Transit is what makes New York the greenest City and the greenest region of the country,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “And these new buses, along with all the infrastructure upgrades to bus depots across the five boroughs, mean New Yorkers all over will soon be breathing cleaner air.”
Incidentally, the New Yorkers also rely on German expertise for depot electrification. German software company CarMedialab supplies the MTA with a cloud-based charging management solution. The MOBILEcharge solution will be used to manage around 755 charging points spread across four depots by September 2024. CarMedialab is implementing the project together with the New York Power Authority and Guth DeConzo Construction Management. Around 255 charging points will be installed in the first phase, and a further 500 charging points will be added over the course of the project. Notably, the software company is not installing the charging systems itself, but is primarily responsible for implementing the charging management solution.
