The City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services recently announced it was awarded $20 million by the Federal Transit Administration to purchase electric buses via a Low or No Emission grant program. Under the program, DTS will purchase seven 40-foot battery-powered electric buses and 18 battery electric bus chargers for the Pearl City Bus Depot, according to the announcement.
"FTA is pleased to announce the award of $20 million from the Low-No grant program to TheBus, which will increase sustainable transportation options in Honolulu for residents and visitors alike – all while creating good American jobs and training the transit workforce on next-generation technologies," FTA Region 9 Administrator Ray Tellis said in a statement.
The federal grant will finance 85% of bus purchases and 90% of electric infrastructure. The rest of the cost will be paid for with previously secured federal funding and local match funding. The award will also provide workforce training and technical support, and helps Honolulu stay on track to its goal of fully transitioning to an all-electric bus fleet by 2040, according to the announcement.
“I look forward to expanding our EV bus fleet and infrastructure to support future generations of transit riders," DTS Director Roger Morton said in a statement.
