Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Is Going Green By Replacing Buses With Electric Ones

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Sixty electric buses are expected to join the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority fleet within the next five years

PSTA has a mission to transform its bus line to green by 2050, PSTA officials said. Electric buses are more efficient and better for the environment in comparison to gas-fueled buses, officials said. They also believe the electric buses will result in improved health outcomes for the communities they serve.

The electric buses will operate systemwide with the first of the 60 new buses expected to be on the road in 2024, a news release said. Six all-electric, green buses have already been part of its fleet. Four electric depot bus chargers were unveiled by the Authority in June. Funding for the future 60 electric buses had been approved by the PSTA Board of Directors during November. It will be the first all-electric bus consortium in Florida at a cost of $80 million, according to staff.

“PSTA is determined to deliver on the promise of a zero-emissions fleet by 2050,” Chief Executive Officer Brad Miller said. “Last month, the Biden administration signed into law the largest investment public transit has realized in US history to improve transportation options and reduce greenhouse emissions for millions of Americans. PSTA is leading the way for our region to meet our green goal.”

Each electric bus is recharged one of three ways: overnight charging, regenerative braking, and on-route charging stations. The battery range averages 200 miles or about 14 hours of operating time on a single charge. PSTA will save about $20,000 a year in diesel fuel costs with each electric bus, a news release reported.

“Pinellas County is pleased to support PSTA’s transition to a zero-emissions buses by modernizing the fleet over the next five years,” Pat Gerard, chair of PSTA’s Board of Directors, said. “Through this electric vehicle investment, we are ensuring that Pinellas County residents benefit from cleaner air as we move toward a more sustainable, carbon-free energy system.”

Electric buses cost less to run than diesel, are easier to maintain, and each electric bus reduces 135 tons of carbon emissions from the air per year by providing public transit services as an alternative to personal vehicle use, PSTA officials said.

“PSTA is taking major steps toward fulfilling its aspiration of a fully green fleet by 2050,” Miller said. “More zero-emission buses, as well as charging infrastructure, will reduce emissions and improve air quality that impacts public health locally, while contributing to an overall effort to combat climate change and sea level rise.”