The first five ABQ Ride electric buses are to begin service on Albuquerque’s streets starting Friday.
The city intends to continue adding electric buses over the coming years with the ultimate goal of phasing out all buses that burn petroleum fuel by 2040, according to a news release from the city Transit Department.
Including the new buses, there are now 163 buses that are part of the ABQ Ride fleet.
In addition to helping reduce the city’s carbon footprint and improving air quality, the electric buses are “cheaper to operate, so it was perfect time to make this investment,” said Bobby Sisneros, acting director of the Transit Department.
The new buses, manufactured by the Proterra company of Greenville, South Carolina, cost just over $1 million each.
