New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) finished installing eight electric vehicle chargers (EVCs) at the Newton Avenue Bus Garage in Camden, N.J. The agency has committed to transitioning its bus fleet to 100 percent zero emissions by 2040 and the installation of the EVCs is a step closer to deployment of NJ Transit’s first battery-electric buses later in 2022.
“The completion of electric bus charging infrastructure at the Newton Avenue Bus Garage is a major step toward putting the first electric buses in New Jersey into service,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “This program reflects our commitment to eliminating reliance on fossil fuels and to environmental justice in the state of New Jersey.”
Scalfo Electric of Vineland, N.J., was awarded a $3.24 million contract in September 2020 to renovate the Newton Avenue Bus Garage with electric vehicle charging stations and other associated infrastructure modifications.
“With the successful installation of the charging infrastructure at our Newton Avenue bus garage, which will support our eight electric buses arriving later this year, NJ Transit celebrates a significant milestone on our roadmap to a 100 percent zero-emissions bus fleet,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett.
The buses that will be deployed from the Camden facility are part of the agency’s limited deployment to evaluate the technology in real-world conditions on specific NJ Transit routes. New Flyer was awarded the electric bus contract for the vehicles to be used in the pilot phase.
“Not only will this project bring some of the state’s first electric buses to Camden City - which will be another step towards improving our region's air quality - but this program's success will be the model that the rest of our state will follow as we work to foster a clean energy economy for generations to come,” said New Jersey Assemblyman Bill Moen, vice chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
In addition to testing electric buses on NJ Transit’s system, the Camden project will review the infrastructure resources and work required to modernize the agency’s bus garages to accept new charging stations and the significantly greater power feeds needed to energize them.
“In order to see the dramatic shift into green energy, hard work needs to be done and words need to be turned into action. The rapid advancement of the garage modernization in Camden, with its eight electric buses on the way, and charging stations now in place, shows NJ Transit’s commitment to making its zero-emissions bus fleet goal a reality,” said NJ Transit Board Member James D. Adams.
