GHG Emissions, Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  April 10, 2020

California county cuts bus fleet emissions 40% with EVs

Tri Delta Transit managed to cut emissions by 40% by converting part of their city bus fleet to electric models and using a new charging software platform.

The transit authority provides service to 225 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County in California and first launched its electric bus program in 2018.  Amply started working with the company in the fall of 2019 and manages the charging of the electric buses, which Tri Delta Transit sourced from Proterra and BYD.

“For any transit authority, guaranteeing that all of our buses are ready for their morning roll-out is critical,” Steve Ponte, Chief Operating Officer of Tri Delta Transit, said in a statement. “Electric buses bring a new process to our operations and electricity use, and we knew we were better off, in the long run, leveraging the expertise of AMPLY’s model. They helped us pinpoint the financial, operational, and equipment improvements we could make to realize 40 percent savings and ensure uptime for our riders who depend on our bus service to go about their daily lives.”

The Amply model is a cloud-based smart charging system that can monitor charging status and power levels in order to minimize utility demand and time-of-use rate charges, which allowed Tri Delta Transit to save up to 40% in energy costs.