CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The Metropolitan Transit System broke ground Thursday on its first large-scale overhead bus charging system in San Diego. City leaders say the project is a part of the effort to make the city more “green.”
MTS hopes to accomplish a goal of creating a bus fleet with zero emissions by 2040.
The $8.5 million overhead gantry charging system is capable of charging 24 battery-electric buses at a time, and it is expandable to add more charging capacity as MTS transitions its fleet to all-electric over the coming years.
The electric charging station will help charge the existing 12 electric buses that were recently purchased by San Diego MTS. The all-electric buses will service the South Bay Iris Rapid Route which will be the first bus route in the San Diego region to be 100% electric.
MTS Board Chair and Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Nathan Fletcher, said the charging station is a huge leap forward toward a greener future, environmental justice, sustainability and better air quality.
“Today, we are taking a leap forward for environmental justice, sustainability, and clean air,” said Nathan Fletcher, MTS Board Chair, and Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “In order to stay on the forefront of technology, MTS looked at solutions to maximize our land use, and the overhead charging system not only is the most innovative technology yet, it provides the infrastructure necessary to keep buses in service and yard operations running effectively."
The $8.5 million large-scale overhead electric bus charging system is set to be completed by May of 2023. In February 2021, MTS retired the last diesel bus in its fleet and will purchase its last gas-powered bus in 2028.