The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) partnered with the North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) for two successful awards under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (Low-No). CTE is working with NCRTD to deploy six battery electric buses (BEBs) and ten electric transit passenger vans supported by charging infrastructure at two depots; in Española and Taos. The goal of this project is to replace NCRTD’s aging diesel fleet serving the counties of north-central New Mexico, including Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Taos.
For the BEB procurements, because Proterra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 and was subsequently acquired by Volvo, previous supply agreements made by Proterra Battery with ElDorado National (ENC) are not bound to be honored by Volvo, affecting ENC’s supply of battery packs. As of May 2024, CTE is revisiting NCRTD’s requirements analysis due to the challenges the agency has faced with procuring an appropriate BEB with sufficient onboard service energy for its deployments. Based on the results of the analysis, CTE will review potential transit bus procurement options available to NCRTD through the Washington state contract. CTE will then subsequently facilitate vendor procurement discussions and review contractual terms. CTE will further manage an independent BEB inspector during the build process, conduct site visits to vendor facilities, and work with NCRTD to finalize vehicle delivery timelines and operations planning.
CTE is also assisting NCRTD with the procurement of Siemens BEB charging infrastructure at both depots, although the DC fast charging infrastructure installations will be deferred until a BEB original equipment manufacturer has been identified, and interoperability has been proven. CTE will support final contracting negotiations and will manage and provide oversight for a subcontractor to plan, design, construct, install, and commission BEB charging infrastructure and equipment.
For the electric cutaway procurements, NCRTD purchased Ford e-Transit passenger vans (upfitted by Forest River), which will provide on-demand and paratransit support across the agency’s service areas. The electric vans will be charged by Ford’s Pro AC Charging Stations, which were purchased along with the vehicles. These vehicles qualify as unmodified mass-produced vans and are not required to undergo Altoona testing, and Forest River provided pre-award Buy America certifications for the chassis and the seating equipment, thus meeting the FTA’s Low-No grant funding requirements.
The ten electric transit vans entered service in Q3 2024, while the six BEBs are expected to be in service starting 2025. After deployment, CTE will track key performance indicators (KPIs) through vehicle and charger monitoring software and provide monthly KPI reports to NCRTD.
