Unitrans — the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) transit system — purchased six New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGE™ battery-electric, 40-foot heavy-duty transit buses off the California Department of General Services (DGS) contract.

New Flyer was selected by DGS as an approved supplier of electric vehicles in 2019. The DGS contract simplifies potential future bus procurement for California local government agencies for up to five years.

Unitrans operates in and around the UC Davis campus, providing mobility to more than 45,000 students and delivering over four million passenger trips per year. Unitrans has pursued alternative fuels for nearly a decade, a strategy accelerated by the California Air Resources Board’s adoption of the Innovative Clean Transit regulation in 2018, which mandates the state’s public transit agencies to transition to 100% zero-emission bus fleets by 2040.

The purchase is supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds and begins conversion of the current Unitrans fleet, comprised of compressed natural gas buses (CNG), to zero-emission as existing vehicles reach end of life. Full electrification of the fleet — anticipated for completion in the early 2030’s — is a joint venture between the campus and city, both focused on sustainability and mitigation of climate change.