CapMetro Opens Terminals for 22-Hour Electric Bus Service
Overhead chargers at Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center allow Rapid 800 and 837 lines to operate for nearly a full day without returning to the depot.
By Nicholas Martin ·
Austin bus riders on the Rapid 800 and Rapid 837 lines can now expect service for up to 22 hours each day. This expansion relies on new charging infrastructure at the ends of those routes, which keeps vehicles in service longer than traditional depot-only charging allows.
CapMetro first announced the two new park-and-ride facilities in June. The Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center terminals opened this month alongside the electrified bus routes. The sites provide passenger amenities and the charging hardware required for the extended shifts.
The charging network starts at the agency's main bus depot. Infrastructure partner Camber Charging installed two 1,440 kW systems there. These connect to 48 industrial dispensers, creating a total capacity of 2.9 MW. The depot setup can charge up to 48 electric buses simultaneously overnight.
The new terminals extend this network to the route endpoints. Overhead pantograph chargers at Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center allow buses to top up their batteries at the end of a run. This enables the vehicles to make the return trip without range limitations.
Andy Skabowski, CapMetro's Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President, stated that on-route charging significantly extends service hours. "Instead of a typical bus holding 8 hours of charging, on-route charging takes that out to 20 to 22 hours," Skabowski said. He added that charging every time the pantograph drops makes 10- to 15-minute service intervals possible.
The vehicles are built on New Flyer's Xcelsior battery-electric transit platform. These buses deliver up to 320 all-electric horsepower. New Flyer notes the platform can offer up to 660 kWh of available battery capacity. Camber Charging provides preventive maintenance and remote diagnostics for the chargers at all three locations.
CapMetro continues to grow its electric fleet. The new infrastructure supports the current routes and provides a model for future lines. The agency aims to maintain consistent service frequency across its network.
Source: Electrek
