New Jersey Transit unveils first battery-electric bus

Oct. 5, 2022

The first bus will be used to train operators and first responders before entering service.

NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett speaks at an Oct. 4, 2022, event unveiling NJ Transit's first battery-electric bus.

New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) took a big step toward its planned transition to a zero-emission fleet by 2040 with the introduction of its first battery-electric bus. The 40-foot bus is the first of an eight-vehicle base order with New Flyer of America. The $9.4-million contract has options allowing for up to 75 additional zero-emission buses to be ordered.

NJ Transit's first battery electric bus was supplied by New Flyer of America and will be used for bus operator and first responder training before being put into service in Camden, N.J.

The new electric bus will be used for training of bus operators and first responders before it enters service in the Camden, NJ, area.

“The future is now for NJ Transit, and this bus is just the first step along our transition to a more sustainable transportation system,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti.

The bus was inaugurated at a ceremony in Camden at NJ Transit’s Newton Avenue Bus Garage, which was outfitted earlier this year with bus chargers in anticipation of the first electric buses entering service.

At the ceremony, NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett explained Camden was selected for the agency’s electric vehicle pilot for two major reasons: Its densely populated urban environment means the community is disproportionately impacted by climate change and its topography and route structure made for an ideal test case. Corbett says data will be collected during the pilot program to evaluate the performance of the electric vehicles before additional zero-emission buses are deployed in other areas of the state.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.