In another win for CU Boulder’s sustainability initiatives, two new electric Buff Buses have hit the streets. The campus has now replaced four aging diesel buses—the first two, made by New Flyer, joined the fleet in November 2022.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment awarded CU Boulder a Clean Fleet Vehicle & Technology Grant in July 2020 to offset the cost of the buses. The first two buses cost $1.7 million combined, and the grant provided a 45% reimbursement from the EPA. These two new buses have the same cost share and were made possible from a second grant awarded in July 2021.
“We are excited to electrify more of our fleet,” said transit manager Chris Biblis. “Our first two electric buses have performed well on regular routes: They’ve reduced the amount of gas we use and are proof that increasing the number of electric vehicles on campus is a great way to contribute to our sustainability goals.”
"Fleet electrification is a key strategy in the work we are doing to update the campus Climate Action Plan," noted Chief Sustainability Officer Heidi VanGenderen. "To that end, another grant proposal for two more buses was also recently submitted."
The new buses have larger batteries, allowing the buses to go farther on a single charge. They are replacing two 17-year-old diesel buses, each of which has over 500,000 miles, and one 19-year-old diesel bus that has over 750,000 miles.
In the spring 2023 semester, the transportation team held a bus-naming contest that resulted in the first two electric buses taking on the names Sko Bus and Ralph-E. Another campuswide bus naming contest will take place in the upcoming fall semester.
