Santa Barbara MTD announced it celebrated the arrival of its first two 40-foot zero-emission battery-electric buses and the installation of 14 new heavy-duty vehicle chargers.

Event attendees included local elected officials, nonprofit leaders, executives from the bus and charger manufacturers, and Southern California Edison.

What the Bus Delivery Means for MTD

This new bus delivery represents the first 40-foot zero-emission buses for the agency.

The first two buses out of an order of nine were unveiled today, with the rest to be delivered in the near future.

In addition to the bus, a project to install 14 heavy-duty electric vehicle chargers was just completed with the help of the Southern California Edison Charge Ready Transport program.

Funding for these two projects came from a variety of federal, state, local, and private sources. 

MTD Honored with Leadership Award

It was also announced at the event that Santa Barbara MTD has been honored with an “Alternative Fuel Vehicle Leadership Award” from the United States Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Coalition.

These buses and chargers are part of Santa Barbara MTD’s larger Next Wave project—a suite of capital and operating projects.