New Jersey Transit 22901-22908
New Jersey Transit 22901-22908 are 2022 New Flyer Industries XE40 CHARGE NG transit buses. The eight buses are the first electric buses in the New Jersey Transit fleet.
| Traction System | Seating | Destination sign |
|---|---|---|
| Siemens ELFA3 | 36: American Seating InSight | Luminator Horizon |
History
Order
Electric buses are the first step to a goal that the State of New Jersey has set to have all future bus purchases be zero-emission by December 2032, as part of Governor Phil Murphy's Energy Master Plan, to reduce greenhouse gases caused by diesel and gasoline engines. Toward that goal, New Jersey Transit announced early adoption of electric transit buses at two of its garages, Newton Avenue and Hilton.[1] In 2017, $2 million in grants were announced toward the purchase of eight electric buses that would run out of Newton Avenue. At the time it was presumed that the buses would be Proterra buses.
A request for proposal was issued in February 2021, with the contract being awarded to New Flyer Industries at the board meeting on October 20, 2021.[2] The contract, which includes options for 75 additional buses[3], is worth $9,429,947, plus five percent for contingencies, and would be funded mostly with $8 million from the Volkswagen Emissions Mitigation Fund over invalid emissions tests, as well as the grant money. At the time, NJ Transit anticipated deployment of the first bus in second quarter 2022, but was delayed.[4][5]
Infrastructure upgrades at Newton Avenue were made for electric buses with test units including a New Flyer-owned XE40 demo and a Motor Coach Industries electric cruiser demo putting the charging equipment through its paces.[6]
Deliveries History
A photograph of the first bus, 22901, surfaced on Facebook in early September 2022. The photo was likely taken at the MCI maintenance facility in Blackwood, New Jersey (MCI and NFI are co-owned entities). It showed a mostly green livery wrap with the words "It's Electric!" prominently displayed on the side of the bus, and a smaller NJ Transit logo below the belt line with the phrase "Greener With Every Mile" alongside it. Bus 22901 was delivered to Newton Avenue as of September 20, 2022 and an unveiling was made on October 4, 2022.[7] After weeks of driver, mechanic and first responder training, bus 22901 entered revenue service on October 24, 2022, exclusively running on Route 452. The later buses in the order are scheduled to begin service in 2023[8] with each bus assigned to its own route.
22902 and 22903 were delivered between January and February 2023, with 22902 entering service on February 15, 2023 while 22903 entered service on February 7, 2023. The balance of the order was delayed for several months due to problems with potential battery fires, with 22904 and 22905 finally arriving on NJT property in June 2023 and later entering service by August 2023. 22906 and 22907 later followed, arriving on NJT property in August 2023. The final unit 22908 was delivered to NJT sometime in October 2023 and entered service in December 2023. Each of the eight buses sports its own unique wrap; none were delivered with conventional NJT graphics.
Movement History
On September 11, 2023, 22902 was temporarily moved to Ironbound to be tested, running on Route 62. It then began testing out of Hilton on Route 25 in late October 2023, however the bus was held at Ironbound due to it having a charging station. It returned to Newton Avenue in December 2023.
Details
| Fleet Number |
Thumbnail | Build Date |
VIN | License plate(s) | Garage | Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22901 | 
|
5/2022 | 5FYB8FJ1XNB105300 | OYB7660 | Newton Avenue | Active | Began service on October 24, 2022 on Route 452 36th Street Station.[9] |
| 22902 | 2022 | 5FYB8FJ11NB105301 | OYB7736 | Newton Avenue | Active | Began service on February 15, 2023 on Route 452 36th St Station. | |
| 22903 | 2022 | 5FYB8FJ13NB105302 | OYB7734 | Newton Avenue | Active | Began service on February 7, 2023 on Route 457 Moorestown Mall Via Gaither Drive. | |
| 22904 | 2022 | 5FYB8FJ15NB105303 | OYB8123 | Newton Avenue | Active | ||
| 22905 | 2022 | 5FYB8FJ17NB105304 | OYB8124 | Newton Avenue | Active | ||
| 22906 | 2022 | 5FYB8FJ19NB105305 | OYB8152 | Newton Avenue | Active | ||
| 22907 | 2022 | 5FYB8FJ10NB105306 | OYB8153 | Newton Avenue | Active | ||
| 22908 | 2022 | 5FYB8FJ12NB105307 | OYB8181 | Newton Avenue | Active | Began revenue service on 12/6/2023 on Route 452. |
References
- ↑ Zero Emission Buses, New Jersey Transit, njtransit.com. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ Action Item #2110-69: Bus Stock Program: Purchase of Eight (8) Zero-Emission Buses New Jersey Transit Board Meeting Minutes, October 20, 2021.
- ↑ NFI receives new order from NJ TRANSIT for eight zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ buses with options to purchase up to 75 more, New Flyer Industries press release dated February 4, 2022, retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ NJ Transit electric bus pilot in Camden delayed as other agencies see battery tech snags, Colleen Wilson, northjersey.com, January 20, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ Delivery of NJ Transit’s first electric buses will be delayed until later this year
- ↑ NJ Transit gives a sneak peek at what will make electric buses go - starting with Camden
- ↑ NJ TRANSIT INTRODUCES AGENCY’S FIRST BATTERY ELECTRIC BUS SET TO ENTER SERVICE
- ↑ Delivery of NJ Transit’s next 7 electric buses delayed – again
- ↑ Get on the electric bus: NJ Transit rolls out New Flyer with clean energy goal in mind
