CapMetro Takes Major Step Toward All-Electric Fleet

Board approves contract for up to 10 electric buses, starts construction on electric smart charging facility.

AUSTIN, Texas - CapMetro today marked two important milestones toward Project Connect, its sustainable and connected vision for regional transportation. The agency's board of directors approved a contract that will put the first electric buses on Austin streets by the end of 2019, and started the transformation of a former Serta Mattress warehouse into a storage and smart charging facility for future electric vehicles.

The vehicles are manufactured by Proterra, Inc., one of the three manufacturers that provided electric buses to the agency in 2018 for a demonstration project. An all-electric fleet is a primary goal of Project Connect and a crucial component of its plan for sustainable public transit.

“CapMetro is committed to the use of innovative technology to create a more efficient, quiet and sustainable transit system,” said CapMetro President and CEO Randy Clarke. “Today, we are taking another necessary step to maintain our high quality of life for generations to come.”

“Project Connect will do great things for Central Texas and for Austin," said Ann Kitchen, a member of the CapMetro Board of Directors and Austin City Council. “It will transform the way we get around and provide mobility options that we don't currently have today. A huge part of that vision is an all-electric fleet of vehicles. This will create a more sustainable and better-connected future for us, our children and grandchildren.”

The new bus yard will be able to accommodate 214 buses. The agency is in the demolition phase of construction process, removing the former Serta warehouse in north Austin. Construction is scheduled to start in the fall of this year, and the bus yard could be ready for operations in summer 2020.