On Thursday October 3, 2019 the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of 33 battery-electric buses and charging systems for the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works. This purchase builds on a commitment made by Miami-Dade County to move forward in its goal of zero emissions. As one of the largest transportation fleets in the State of Florida, Miami-Dade County has now invested tens of millions of dollars in its quest to lead in large scale fleet conversion.
Electric vehicles are the future, plain and simple, and they are rapidly becoming the present. Though China is the undisputed leader in e-buses, with over 400,000 on the ground, it’s expected that by the end of 2019, the U.S. and Europe will have over 7,000 e-buses in operation. Looking further ahead, a 2019 Bloomberg NEF report predicts that electric buses will make up 81% of municipal bus sales by 2040.
As the technology becomes more affordable, available, and efficient, it’s clear that e-buses are smart economic and environmental investments.
Electric buses produce fewer emissions than both diesel and natural gas buses, even when accounting for the production of the energy needed to power them. Transportation is the largest contributor to United States’ greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, buses are only a fraction of that; the largest contributors are light-duty vehicles like cars, trucks, and SUVs. However, transitioning the transit fleet to zero-emission vehicles is an important step in the broader goal of creating a sustainable public transit system that gets more cars off the road.
Members of the Tropical Audubon Society and Audubon Ambassadors continue to support our efforts through outreach and advocacy. Following the Miami-Dade County bus vote, members of The Tropical Audubon Society and Audubon Ambassadors program began to contact their Miami-Dade County Commissioners to thank them for their vote on such a critical issue for South Florida.
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