Wichita Transit on Thursday unveiled the first battery-electric zero-emission buses in Kansas at a press conference. The four new buses will begin operating on routes early next year and will replace several diesel buses.
The city scored a nearly $2 million federal grant to purchase the buses from ProTerra. Wichita Transit estimates each electric bus will last 12 years and save the city $462,000 in that time compared to its diesel counterparts. The buses will charge overnight and should have enough power to run 150 miles by morning. Officials hope the buses will attract new riders.
“As you can see it is quiet, no emissions, no sound. We can carry on conversations. These are things no one ever thought of 10 or 15 years ago in public transportation,” said Mike Tann, Wichita Transit Director.
Mokhtee Ahmad, one of two members of the Federal Transit Administration on hand at the dedication, said the advantage of taking a bus is that you can text and ride instead of driving.
(Read more: KSN-TV)