autoevolution
 

L.A. Gets $6 Million to Install One of the Largest EV Fleet Charging Systems in the U.S.

The city of Los Angeles is determined to build a zero-emission future and switching to cleaner transportation is a major step to be taken in that direction. A goal that is easier to accomplish with the latest $6 million grant it received, which will be used to install one of the largest EV fleet charging systems in the country.
Proterra ZX5 Battery Electric Transit Bus 6 photos
Photo: Proterra Inc./YouTube
LADOT electric busesLADOT electric busesLADOT electric busesWattEV charging station for electric trucks to open in Bakersfield, CaliforniaProterra ZX5 Battery Electric Transit Bus
As recently announced by the LADOT (Los Angeles Department of Transportation), the city of L.A. has been awarded $6 million by the California Energy Commission. A solar and storage microgrid will power the aforementioned EV charging systems, with LADOT planning to deploy 1.5 MW of rooftop and bus solar canopy paired with a 4.5MWh energy storage system provided by Apparent at the Washington Bus Yard. These will help power five Proterra 1.5-megawatt fleet chargers with 104 remote EV charging dispensers, as explained by the department.

L.A. plans to switch to a fully electric bus fleet by 2028 and has partnered with electric bus manufacturer Proterra to achieve this goal. The 25th battery-electric transit bus Proterra was delivered earlier this year to LADOT, which now operates a total of 29 electric buses. This number will continue to grow, with 30 more such vehicles expected to join the city's fleet by next summer.

In addition to delivering a clean energy solution, the project will also cut LADOT’s electricity costs and provide an emergency backup power solution in case of an outage, allowing the agency to keep operating.

The city of Los Angeles is not the only one making efforts to reduce its emissions, with the entire state of California working on the problem. A recently signed bill tries to get rid of gas-powered lawn equipment such as lawnmowers and leaf blowers, banning their sale in California by 2024. As specified in the bill, operating a commercial leaf blower for one hour is equivalent to driving over 1,000 miles in a new passenger vehicle, with gas-powered SOREs (small off-road engines) emitting high levels of air pollutants.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Cristina Mircea
Cristina Mircea profile photo

Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories