An electric bus was on display at Twin Transit, located at 212 E. Locust St. in Centralia in December 2015.
By the end of the year, Twin Transit will add a brand new electric bus to its fleet.
It will be one of the first transit agencies in the state to do so.
The Twin Transit Board of Directors approved the purchase of one 30-foot fully electric heavy-duty bus during its Thursday meeting. The purchase amount is not to exceed $569,858.
The bus will be purchased off of the Washington State transit vehicle procurement contract from Green Power Bus.
A Washington State Department of Transportation Division Capital Grant award accounts for $297,063 of the total cost, and the remaining amount will be local matching funds.
Although typically buses are purchased with an 80/20 grant, the purchase is closer to a 50/50 split, Twin Transit General Manager Rob LaFontaine said.
In all, three demonstration buses were brought to Centralia while the board debated which company to select. Two of them were BYD buses, while one was from Green Power Bus.
“It’s been an interesting and educational experience for all of us involved,” LaFontaine said.
Although the vehicle from Green Power Bus was almost $68,000 more than the BYD buses, it offered a number of advantages.
Annual fuel savings with the Green Power Bus are $27,284 compared to $22,323 with the competing buses.
With a lifespan of about 17 years, the lifetime fuel savings of the Green Power Bus is estimated at $463,828 compared to $379,491 with a BYD bus, LaFontaine said.
The battery life lasts longer and the bus includes six extra inches of Americans with Disabilities Act space than the competing buses. The 102 inches of ADA space are equal to that on the current Gillig diesel buses used by Twin Transit. The space allows for more wheelchair space.
Repairs are also easier on the Green Power Bus, LaFontaine said.
To stay competitive, Green Power Bus offered Twin Transit a price nearly $105,000 lower than the normal price.
Now with the purchase authorized, LaFontaine said it typically takes about nine months for the bus to be constructed. It is being custom made with Twin Transit’s requirements. If all goes well, it will be available for use in Centralia at the end of the year, near Christmas.
