Napa Valley Transportation Authority (NVTA) has unveiled its new fleet of BYD electric buses to provide on-demand services to passengers in wine country, California.
The fleet consists of five 30-foot buses that will be used within the town and city limits. This is part of NVTA’s transition to an all-electric fleet.
Patrick Duan, BYD Senior Vice President of Operations said:The NVTA will have safe, reliable public transportation with their new, full-fleet of zero-emission BYD buses. We are as excited watching the community adopt a truly innovative and clean solution for their residents and visitors.
The buses feature designs that focus on the butterfly and honeybee, as these pollinators are critical to the region’s economy and environment. Meanwhile, wildlife such as a hummingbird and a hawk are also included.
The vehicles take four hours to charge using infrastructure installed at the Yountville Corporation Yard and St. Helena Corporation Yard. Each bus can then travel up to 180 miles.
St. Helena Mayor Geoff Emmerson said:NVTA is proud to have partnered with BYD on its first-ever electrical vehicles. These five new electric vehicles are a strong start to NVTA transitioning to a 100% zero-emission fleet ahead of the deadline set by the California Air Resource Board. At 30 ft long, these vehicles are very nimble and perfect for operating on-demand bus services.
The buses were built at BYD’s manufacturing facility in Lancaster, California.
They were funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission Vehicle grant programme.
Following this success, the NVTA has also received an additional 14.8 million USD in FTA grants for 14 zero-emission buses. Once these buses enter service, nearly half of NVTA’s bus fleet will be zero-emission.
