The University of Virginia announced today that it is beginning to transition its transit fleet from diesel power to a more sustainable alternative with the purchase of four new battery electric buses. Delivery of the new zero-emission buses, manufactured by Proterra, is expected in summer or fall 2023.
University Transit Service, operated by UVA’s Department of Parking and Transportation, currently has about 40 buses in its fleet. Parking and Transportation staff began in-depth research of electric buses in fall 2020. With a life cycle of 12 to 15 years for each bus, the team understood that every future bus purchase would present an opportunity to advance the goals of the University’s Sustainability Plan.
UVA’s Facilities Management department has led the way for electric vehicles on Grounds. Since 2019, it has been designated with a Sustainable Fleet Accreditation by the National Association of Fleet Administrators and Calstart, becoming the only university fleet in Virginia to earn this designation and one of only six in the nation.
“We’re excited to introduce battery electric buses to our University Transit fleet,” Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis said. “The decisions we make each day are important to help us achieve long-term sustainability goals. I’m grateful to the University’s Committee on Sustainability for its forward-thinking approach and to the Parking and Transportation team for their enthusiastic partnership.”
Each UTS bus uses about 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year. By replacing four diesel buses with battery electric buses, UTS will cut its tailpipe emissions by about 400 metric tons annually. This is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 50 average homes.
“We are thrilled to announce this step to help the University reach its goal of being fossil fuel-free by 2050,” Director of Parking and Transportation Rebecca White said. “Transportation presents a major environmental and health impact, and converting our bus fleet from diesel to battery electric vehicles will be a major step forward. A big thanks goes to everyone on the Parking and Transportation team whose hard work and creative problem-solving have brought us to this point.”
The team consulted with other universities and municipalities that are running battery electric buses to learn about their experiences before deciding to order UVA’s first four battery electric buses from Proterra. The publicly listed company is currently based in California, but its electric buses are already on the road here in Virginia. UVA staff saw them up close in Alexandria, and talked with transit colleagues there about the day-to-day operations of their battery electric buses.
