The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) has successfully partnered with the Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) on five Federal Transit Administration Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (Low-No) and Bus & Bus Facilities grants for FY2016, FY2017, FY2019, FY2021, and FY2022. In total, DTC has deployed 20 Proterra 35’, two Proterra 40’ Catalyst E2, and four GILLIG 40’ battery electric buses (BEBs) in Dover, Rehoboth, and Wilmington, DE through the FY2016, FY2017, FY2019, and FY2021 grants. With the FY2022 grant, DTC is planning on deploying an additional two Proterra BEBs in Sussex County in 2024, as well as four New Flyer fuel cell electric buses and a hydrogen fueling station in New Castle County.
The deployment of the first six Proterra 35’ Catalyst E2 BEBs and six depot chargers has been completed (FY2016 grant). Delaware still plans to install one on-route charger servicing Dover in 2024 for this grant. DTC completed deployment of the next eight Proterra 35’ Catalyst E2 BEBs serving Wilmington and two Proterra 40’ Catalyst E2 BEBs serving Rehoboth in April 2020 (FY2017 grant). Pantograph charging infrastructure at Lewes Park and Ride was commissioned and in service as of March 2022. Through the 2019 grant, DTC deployed four GILLIG BEBS in Wilmington in early 2022. CTE completed onsite validation testing of the Proterra 40’ BEBs, the GILLIG BEBs, and the pantograph charger in September 2022. Through DTC’s 2021 Low-No Award, DTC procured six Proterra 35’ BEBs, which were delivered in March 2023. The procurement of the three depot chargers and two on-route pantograph chargers for this project is in the works. CTE traveled to Delaware to conduct validation testing on the buses in February 2024 and summarized the results in a report for DTC.
The FY2022 grant was officially kicked off in June 2023. As of September 2024, CTE and DTC are finalizing the Request for Proposals for the mobile hydrogen fueling station that is planned to be installed at the MidCounty facility. Additionally, CTE and DTC are working to finalize the contract for fuel cell electric buses with New Flyer.
