Placer County Transit in California is moving forward with a $28.4 million investment toward full electrification of its public transit fleet. The plan calls for procuring four new battery-powered buses and installing two charging stations by 2028.
This initiative falls under the Zero Emission Bus Rollout Plan, which was approved by the county board. The electrification plan and subsequent funds align with California’s Innovative Clean Transit regulation, which requires all new bus purchases to be zero-emission.
The county, which stretches from Sacramento suburbs to the edge of Lake Tahoe, currently operates 45 public transit vehicles, including buses and cutaways. The four new electric buses will be the first zero-emission vehicles in the fleet when they go into service in fiscal year 2026–27.
Placer County’s plan to electrify infrastructure will include the installation of two bus yard charging stations in Truckee and Auburn.
A feasibility study, supported by community input and planning agency coordination, has been underway since 2021. The study identified various infrastructure needs for both electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses, but the county opted for battery-electric models for the initial sustainability effort.
The buses are expected to be delivered in 2025 and enter service in fiscal year 2026–27. This phased deployment allows time for installation of necessary infrastructure and for staff preparation, according to county officials.
Photo by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
