HAMPTON, Va. —
Congressman Bobby Scott (D-3rd District) stopped by the Hampton Roads Transportation District Commission meeting Thursday to present $1 million in federal funding. The money will allow HRT to purchase more electric, zero-emission buses.
Hampton Roads Transit currently operates six all-electric buses out of around 300, but it has the goal of going fully electric by 2049.
The $1 million comes from the $467.5 billion 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
“Hampton Roads Transit has been a leader in the Commonwealth in procuring and deploying zero-emission buses,” said Scott. “No emissions means cleaner air for all of us.”
The all-electric fleet will eventually be based out of a planned southside facility in Virginia Beach.
Last June, HRT received $25 million in federal funding to build it and accommodate the new vehicles. The facility is set to open in 2029 and will have space for 100 buses and 16 seasonal trolleys.
“This extra appropriation was above and beyond all the appropriations normally available to Hampton Roads Transit. It’s just a major step in the right direction,” added Scott.
The six electric buses currently operate on one of Hampton Roads’ busiest routes. Buses travel along Virginia Beach Boulevard from Norfolk to the oceanfront.
“It is one of the most traveled bus routes in our system and in the Commonwealth,” said HRT Chief Communications Officer Alexis Majied. “We put our electric buses on this route, so they can help us to understand the challenges and limitations.”
Chief Engineering and Facilities Officer Sibyl Pappas agrees the first six buses have come with challenges. She says manufacturers told HRT the buses could run for over 200 miles on a charge, but they’d die after around 100 miles on colder days.
“On really cold days, the battery is trying to keep the bus warm,” Pappas explained. “So they would break down on Virginia Beach Boulevard. So it’s definitely been a learning process for us. I think it’s good we started with six.”
She adds because the organization is learning from them now, riders will get a better experience on electric buses in the long run.
“You can have a reasonable conversation while you’re on it,” Pappas explained. “Sometimes the diesel bus, it’s extremely loud. If you’re on [the electric bus], you don’t smell diesel exhaust or diesel fumes. It’s a nice experience.”
When the southside facility is finished, HRT staff estimate a savings of $650,000 per year, thanks to lower fuel and labor costs.