LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority was awarded a $104 million federal grant to purchase 160 battery- electric buses and associated charging stations, the agency announced Tuesday despite safety concerns plaguing other electric bus fleets.
The U.S. NTSB is investigating a fleet of electric buses in Connecticut after one of its buses caught fire while parked. The city of Hamden responded by grounding its entire fleet last month.
Related: Connecticut Parks Its Entire Electric Bus Fleet After Fire
BYD (Build Your Dreams) has been tapped by Metro to provide electric buses despite theirs catching on fire while charging.
Related: BYD City Electric Bus Caught Fire While Charging- Telangana
BYD has invested heavily into the Inglewood Airport Area Chamber of Commerce as Inglewood Mayor James Butts is a member of the Metro board. BYD is believed to be submitting proposals related to the Inglewood Transit Connector project.
The grant funds will be used to transition Metro’s fleet to zero-emission buses on lines based out of El Monte and Carson, along with the J (Silver) Line rapid bus service between San Pedro and downtown Los Angeles.
“The J Line, aka the Silver Line, is a vital link for our regional economy, but residents of Wilmington and San Pedro should never have to pay a price for it with their health,” Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board member Janice Hahn said in a statement. “We need to fight air pollution in our communities with all the tools and technologies available, and with this switch to a fully electrified J Line, we’re accomplishing that.”
Metro board chair and Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian said the money will “help bring our agency closer to having a fully electric bus fleet in the coming decade.”
The money will cover the purchase of the battery-electric buses, and the purchase and installation of charging stations along bus routes and at depots, according to Metro.
City News Service contributed to this report.
