PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA is getting some federal cash to help prepare its depots for greener buses.
SEPTA's two dozen battery-powered buses have been sidelined for three years while the transit agency evaluates problems with cracks and reliability.
An $80 million federal grant will help SEPTA pay for upgrading electrical systems at six of its bus maintenance facilities to help the transit agency prepare for battery buses, or those powered by hydrogen fuel cells, says SEPTA's Director of Power Engineering Tyler Ladd.
"With both of these kind of new and emerging technologies, there's new code regulations, new safety requirements that will be needed either for the batteries or working with hydrogen," Ladd said.
"Whichever technology we ultimately decide on, it's going to be an immediate benefit to the city, like, right away."
The grant is part of $1.7 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law going to transit systems in 46 states.
SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards says the “$80 million low/no grant is the largest single infrastructure grant SEPTA has ever received."
SEPTA has already bought ten of the low-emission hydrogen fuel cell buses. They'll hit the road on a pilot basis next summer with plans to transition the entire fleet to green buses – diesel-hybrid buses comprise the majority of SEPTA's current fleet.
They anticipate having a large-scale of zero-emission buses by 2027.
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