TriMet Welcomes 60-foot Electric Bus to Fleet

Portland-area TriMet recently announced the addition of an electric 60-foot articulated “bendy” bus to its fleet. Donning the very appropriate name, Desert Rose, the newest member of the fleet is a converted diesel bus formerly owned by Valley Metro in Phoenix, Arizona.

Converting diesel buses to run on electricity could help TriMet electrify its fleet faster, and at a much lower cost. The Desert Rose will serve as its first test case, alongside three of their old 3500-series 40-foot buses that will also be converted for testing. If the experiment proves successful, it’s possible they will move forward in electrifying the rest of their 700+ fleet! Learn more.

Bonus:

Public Information Officer, Tia York, tells us all about the agency’s electrification plans, mini wind turbines, and more in Episode 22 of ODOE’s podcast, Grounded.

Image courtesy of TriMet