A Clean Start: PSTA And GILLIG Drive Into 2024 With New Electric Buses

GILLIG, an American manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, celebrated the start of a new and greener year alongside the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) as they introduced the first six of 62 GILLIG Battery Electric buses.

“PSTA, recognized as the American Public Transportation Association’s Outstanding Agency of the Year in 2023, will start the new year with this rollout, marking a meaningful milestone in PSTA’s dedicated journey toward creating a more sustainable, equitable, and environmentally friendly public transportation system for Pinellas County, FL,” according to a press release. “PSTA’s 5-year contract with GILLIG for 62 Battery Electric buses, awarded in late 2022, reflects PSTA’s ongoing dedication to modernizing and enhancing public transit, a vital initiative in their region, which is the most densely populated region in Florida.”

Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA, commented on this milestone: “For over three decades, our collaboration with GILLIG has been instrumental in offering safe, reliable, and now zero-emissions sustainable transit options to our community. With the launch of GILLIG’s Battery Electric buses, we’re taking a major step in our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship. These buses represent a key move toward an even more sustainable and equitable future for PSTA, and we are excited to start the new year with these new zero-emission buses.”

This first wave of buses and the additional 56 to be built and delivered over the next four years will replace older diesel-fueled models that are aging out of the PSTA fleet. PSTA estimates they will save approximately 11 million gallons of diesel fuel over the lifetime of the buses by replacing them with these battery-powered counterparts, significantly reducing emissions and improving air quality throughout Pinellas County.

“With PSTA already operating 88 GILLIG Hybrid buses in Florida’s largest fleet of hybrids, adding GILLIG Battery Electric zero-emission buses is a natural progression in their ongoing efforts to foster sustainable public transportation in Pinellas County. Built on GILLIG’s same proven Low-Floor platform as the GILLIG Hybrids, the new buses will seamlessly integrate into PSTA’s existing fleet, maintaining the durability and quality PSTA has come to expect from their GILLIG buses,” the release added. “However, these new 40’ buses are solely powered by ultra-high-capacity batteries, boasting a substantial 686 kWh of onboard energy storage for extended range on a single charge. Having earned the industry’s top performance, safety, and reliability testing scores, these new Battery Electric buses will provide reliable, quiet, and zero-emission service for PSTA’s daily operations. PSTA’s investment also includes 15 ChargePoint chargers, purchased through GILLIG’s Charging Solutions team.”

Visit www.gillig.com.