Biodiesel, Not Electric, Buses May Join Metro Transit Fleet

by Janet Moore (Star Tribune) ... A proposal to spend $122 million for 143 new biodiesel buses will be considered by the Metropolitan Council next week. The deal represents about 15% of Metro Transit's fleet of 900 buses.

This has exasperated many groups that applauded Metro Transit's commitment to electric buses three years ago.

The biodiesel fuel used by Metro Transit is a mixture of diesel gas, soybean byproducts and animal fats, but the majority of the mix is diesel.

Metro Transit officials said the pilot program involving eight electric buses on the C line arterial bus route has proved challenging. The first electric buses were rolled out to great fanfare in 2019, but the system soon encountered issues with charging equipment. On Tuesday, the electric chargers overheated, resulting in all eight buses being sidelined.

Cold climates like Minnesota's can also sap electric vehicle charges. The plan adopted three years ago called for half of the area's new rapid transit buses to be electric. But Metro Transit officials now say electric buses are not a good fit because the new lines cover too much territory, making establishing a network of charging stations challenging.

That hasn't ruled out Metro Transit using electric buses on some of its shorter local bus routes, Funk said, noting the transit agency is exploring a federal grant to help pay for them.

"We are still committed to the electric bus program," Metro Transit General Manager Wes Kooistra said. "We know the technology is going to improve. Our peers in other cities are having the same experience." READ MORE