LAX board approves purchase of 20 articulated electric buses

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) has approved the purchase of 20 articulated electric buses to transport passengers on Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) airfields. The new buses will replace older, diesel-operated buses.

Electric buses provide substantial environmental benefits and will help the city achieve goals set forth in Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Sustainable City pLAn by helping to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 45% below 1990 baseline levels by 2025.

Michael Christensen, deputy executive director for facilities maintenance and utilities group, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the airport operator, said, “With the introduction of these new electric buses, LAX will have the largest fleet of electric airfield buses at an airport in the world, transporting us to a cleaner and quieter busing future. These buses are smart for the environment and for our bottom line, and we’re excited to start rolling them out in the coming year.”

LAWA’s current airfield bus fleet consists of 26 buses: 14 diesel-fueled buses that are more than 20 years old, and 12 CNG-fueled, 60ft articulating buses that are over 10 years old. BOAC’s approval allows LAWA to replace all 14 diesel-fueled buses with 60ft electric buses, and add six electric buses to its airfield fleet for a total of 32 buses.

Samantha Bricker, deputy executive director of the environmental programs group, LAWA, said, “These electric buses represent an important step up in terms of sustainability and carbon footprint reduction. By replacing 14 diesel-powered engines and expanding our battery-electric bus capacity, we’re looking at making a substantial reduction in tailpipe emissions, which means cleaner air for our guests and surrounding neighbors.”

Switching 20 diesel-operated buses to battery-electric buses is projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from 616,365 lb (or 308 tons) of GHG per year to zero. The total price for the new buses is not to exceed US$23,705,200.