The Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) has introduced two new 40-foot GILLIG battery-electric buses into passenger service, continuing the agency’s transition towards a zero-emission fleet.
The buses are now operating on DTA routes in Duluth, Minnesota, where steep gradients and cold winter conditions present operational challenges for public transport.
DTA was the first transit agency in Minnesota to introduce battery-electric buses on fixed-route services when it deployed seven vehicles in October 2018. The latest additions build on that experience and expand the authority’s electric fleet.
The two buses cost approximately 1.1 million USD each and were funded using remaining money from a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant awarded in 2015 to support DTA’s initial electric bus programme.
According to the transit authority, the new buses are capable of operating for at least 16 hours before recharging. The agency also expects the vehicles to provide quieter journeys and improved hill-climbing performance compared with some of its earlier battery-electric buses.
Duluth has been regarded as a useful testing environment for battery-electric buses due to its combination of low winter temperatures and hilly terrain. Data gathered from DTA’s earlier electric fleet has contributed to wider industry research into the performance, energy consumption and operating costs of battery-electric buses compared with conventional diesel vehicles.
The deployment also adds to GILLIG’s growing portfolio of battery-electric buses in North America as transit agencies continue to expand the use of zero-emission vehicles in everyday passenger service.
The two new buses are now in regular operation across the DTA network, supporting the agency’s ongoing fleet electrification programme while providing further operational experience in demanding service conditions.
