Lancaster – The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) has reached another significant milestone in their quest to become the nation’s first all-electric bus fleet, as the agency’s zero-emission buses that are currently deployed in service, collectively crossed the two million mile mark before the end of 2019.
On December 24, 2019, a few days before the decade came to a close, AVTA zero-emission buses collectively accumulated two million service miles moving residents of the Antelope Valley around Lancaster, Palmdale, and the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County such as Pearblossom, Little Rock, and Lake Los Angeles.
AVTA Chairman of the Board Marvin Crist highlighted some of the benefits to the community and beyond that are a result of the electrification of AVTA’s fleet.
“Thus far, approximately 512,821 gallons of diesel fuel have been saved with the new battery electric fleet. This equates to a net savings of $801,190 in fuel costs after paying for electricity,” said Crist. “Even more impressive, those two million all-electric miles represent a carbon footprint reduction of more than 12 million pounds of CO2 and 29,063 pounds of particulate matter."
Since February 2016, when the AVTA Board of Directors voted to award a contract to BYD to manufacture electric buses over a five year period at BYD’s facility in Lancaster, AVTA has been on the path to pioneering battery electric bus transportation. The project, which is nearing completion, has created a smarter, greener, and more interconnected transit system serving the Antelope Valley and areas extending south into the Los Angeles basin and north to Edwards Air Force Base and the Mojave Air and Space Port. By combining groundbreaking electric bus technology with wireless inductive charging technology, AVTA’s innovative bus project is the first of its kind in the nation.
“AVTA actively operated 88 buses during December 2019, over half of which are zero-emission buses,” stated AVTA Executive Director and CEO Macy Neshati. “Those 49 BYD electric buses, manufactured right here in the Antelope Valley, just completed two million miles of travel. Our goal from the start was to be the first transit agency to implement electric bus technology on a broad scale, and we have met that goal.”
AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.
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On December 24, 2019, a few days before the decade came to a close, AVTA zero-emission buses collectively accumulated two million service miles moving residents of the Antelope Valley around Lancaster, Palmdale, and the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County such as Pearblossom, Little Rock, and Lake Los Angeles.
AVTA Chairman of the Board Marvin Crist highlighted some of the benefits to the community and beyond that are a result of the electrification of AVTA’s fleet.
“Thus far, approximately 512,821 gallons of diesel fuel have been saved with the new battery electric fleet. This equates to a net savings of $801,190 in fuel costs after paying for electricity,” said Crist. “Even more impressive, those two million all-electric miles represent a carbon footprint reduction of more than 12 million pounds of CO2 and 29,063 pounds of particulate matter."
Since February 2016, when the AVTA Board of Directors voted to award a contract to BYD to manufacture electric buses over a five year period at BYD’s facility in Lancaster, AVTA has been on the path to pioneering battery electric bus transportation. The project, which is nearing completion, has created a smarter, greener, and more interconnected transit system serving the Antelope Valley and areas extending south into the Los Angeles basin and north to Edwards Air Force Base and the Mojave Air and Space Port. By combining groundbreaking electric bus technology with wireless inductive charging technology, AVTA’s innovative bus project is the first of its kind in the nation.
“AVTA actively operated 88 buses during December 2019, over half of which are zero-emission buses,” stated AVTA Executive Director and CEO Macy Neshati. “Those 49 BYD electric buses, manufactured right here in the Antelope Valley, just completed two million miles of travel. Our goal from the start was to be the first transit agency to implement electric bus technology on a broad scale, and we have met that goal.”
AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.
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