Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
APRIL 18, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: ZERO-EMISSION BUS PROGRAM UPDATE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE status report on the Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) Program.
Issue
ISSUE
In 2018, The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation mandated that all transit agencies in the state operate all-zero emission fleets by 2040. In addition, ICT ZEB purchase requirements for large transit agencies require 25% of bus purchases to be zero-emission beginning in 2023, 50% beginning in 2026, and 100% beginning in 2029.
In July 2017, Metro's Board of Directors approved Motion #50 by Directors Bonin, Garcetti, Najarian, Hahn, and Solis (Attachment A), which endorsed a ZEB Strategic Plan (SP) to transition the entire bus fleet to ZE by 2030, contingent on envisioned cost and performance equivalence with compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and continued advancements in charging infrastructure. As a result, Metro is the largest transit agency in the State with the largest investment in transition from CNG to ZE. The Motion has enabled Metro to meet all of the ICT ZEB purchase requirements 10 years ahead of schedule.
However, cost and performance parity have yet to materialize, and it is not projected to reach it for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the recent pandemic adversely impacted the financial viability and competitiveness of the US clean bus manufacturing market. This, and other factors, recently led an OEM to announce plans to close its US manufacturing facility in 2025, another OEM to file for bankruptcy relief, and another OEM to close its manufacturing facility in Southern California - all within the last 12 months. The US now finds itself with just two major OEMs that can compete for Metro bus procurements.
Background
BACKGROUND
Since the Board's actions in 2017, Metro has embarked on the most extensive ...
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