Rochester Public Transit doubles electric fleet with delivery of two electric buses

(ABC 6 News) – Rochester Public Transit (RPT) announced it has added to its fleet of electric vehicles.

RPT said it was delivered two New Flyer Xcelsior 60-foot battery electric buses. The vehicles are nearly identical to the two electric buses that entered revenue service in July of 2022.

As with the first shipment, a portion of the cost of these vehicles is covered by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Program. After testing, certification, and licensing the new buses will be deployed in a similar fashion, serving RPT’s park-and-ride facilities at peak times.

“We are pleased with the performance of the two New Flyer Xcelsior 60s we put in service last year,” says Rochester Public Transit Project Manager Mike Collins. “They have had very little downtime, and have performed much as we expected.”

RPT said due to the larger capacity of the buses, fewer customers would be forced to stand on busy trips.

The buses, manufactured in St. Cloud, have a storage capacity of 525 kWh, offering an operating range of approximately 150 miles, depending on conditions. RPT has charging infrastructure already in place to accommodate the new vehicles.