The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) partnered with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Arrowhead Transit, and City of Morris Transit to assist in the procurement and deployment of cutaway battery electric buses (BEBs) and related charging equipment. CTE provided technical support and analysis to familiarize MnDOT, Arrowhead, and Morris with the operating characteristics and fueling requirements of BEBs, assisted with the procurement of two cutaway BEBs for the agencies, and developed a process for MnDOT to use when selecting transit agencies to partner with on future Federal Transit Administration grant applications. CTE also directly assisted MnDOT with the development and submission of an application to the 2022 Low or No Emission Vehicle Grant Program. MnDOT was ultimately awarded $3.4 million under the program.
In April 2022, CTE visited the Morris and Arrowhead transit agencies to review operations, tour facilities, and collect GPS data on bus routes. CTE used the GPS data it collected to model the performance of BEBs operating under various conditions. CTE used the model’s outputs to develop vehicle and charger procurement specifications as well as tools that the project’s partner agencies can use to estimate BEB ranges given various vehicle specifications and operating conditions. CTE advised MnDOT, Arrowhead, and Morris of the impacts of cold weather on BEB range and recommended that the agencies install auxiliary fuel-fired heaters on their BEBs to maximize range.
Throughout the project’s procurement process, CTE responded to MnDOT and agency questions regarding equipment specifications on an on-call basis. Orders were placed in early 2023.
CTE also provided MnDOT with a comprehensive overview of the market for cutaway BEBs, including vehicle manufacturers, specification options, and estimated pricing.
In April 2023, the project was extended to run through February 2024, to enable CTE to continue to provide procurement and deployment assistance to the project’s partner agencies on an as-needed basis.
