The Hawaii transport authorities are set to replace aging diesel buses with new battery electric models across four counties. The electric buses will be deployed on public transport routes in Kaua’i, Maui and Hawaii Island.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) said the new Gillig-manufactured buses will take the place of 12 aging diesel buses, as a first step towards fully electrifying the state’s public transport system by 2035.Technical information on the new buses has not been provided, but HDOT has claimed that they will contribute to a reduction of 17.34 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (primarily nitrogen oxides) for each bus replaced.
The new vehicles were funded by the Federal Transit Administration, which provided $11.2m USD in grant funding – covering a significant portion of the project’s overall $16.6m cost. An additional $3.53m was provided by the Hawaii State Energy Office and the remainder was paid for by the counties themselves.
Kimo Alameda, Hawaii Island Mayor, said: “These new electric buses are a significant step toward reducing our emissions and expanding sustainable transportation options for our residents. They are a win both for our environment and the people of Hawaiʻi. Mahalo to our federal and state partners for helping us make this forward-thinking investment possible.”
These won’t be the first electric buses to operate in Hawaii; the city of Honolulu already has 17 ‘zero-emission’ buses which operate across the island of O’ahu, and has secured funds to purchase an additional 78 buses in the next three years. The public authorities in Honolulu is also currently constructing new charging hubs for electric buses at four locations, namely the Alapa’i Transit Center, Kalihi Transit Center, Pearlridge Mobility Hub and the Pearl City Bus Facility.
This is all part of a wider effort to decarbonise transport in Hawaii. In 2021, the Hawaiian government announced a new rule to electrify its entire fleet. Passenger vehicles must be electric by 2030, light commercial vehicles by 2035.
hdot.hawaii.gov
