Transit authority receives $18M state grant to buy more electric buses

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has been awarded an $18 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that will be used to purchase 60 electric buses over the next five years.

The funds, according to a news release, are derived from the U.S. government’s settlement with German automaker Volkswagen, which was accused of violating the Clean Air Act. The money represents the second-largest amount ever given to a transit agency in Florida, and it will help bolster PSTA’s fleet of electric buses, which includes six all-electric buses and 88 hybrid buses.

"We appreciate that the Department of Environmental Protection has recognized PSTA as a leader in sustainability and that the state is investing in our efforts to get more all-electric buses on the road as soon as possible," PSTA CEO Brad Miller states in the release. "We are committed to clean energy, and electric buses also cost less to run and are easier to maintain. Within the next decade, we hope to eliminate all diesel buses from our fleet."