LA Metro Acquires 200 Electric Buses from ENC
The contract, approved by the LA Metro Board of Directors on September 24, is valued at $337.7 million USD and includes options to purchase up to 1,600 additional buses. The vehicles are scheduled to arrive before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and are part of LA Metro’s plan to transition its entire fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2030.
The EVO-BE utilizes BAE Systems’ Gen 3 electric propulsion system and can be equipped with a battery storage capacity of up to 738 kWh. LA Metro estimates that each vehicle will have a range of between 174 and 250 miles (280 to 402 kilometers), depending on the configuration and operating conditions.
Manufacturing of the 220 buses in the order will take place at ENC’s 227,000-square-foot facility in Jurupa Valley, California. In a statement, ENC noted that the contract award “helps preserve quality manufacturing jobs at ENC, whose national supplier network includes companies that provide employment for hundreds of individuals in Los Angeles County and Southern California.”
LA Metro is the second-largest public transit agency in the United States and the primary public transportation provider for Los Angeles County. This latest order is part of an ongoing collaboration between ENC and LA Metro and coincides with the expansion of the California-based manufacturer’s electric bus lineup.
In 2022, Electrive reported that ENC had selected Proterra batteries for the AXESS EVO-BE, and that the company offers this model in 32-, 35-, and 40-foot configurations, with an energy storage capacity of up to 738 kWh. ENC has established a strategic partnership with InductEV to offer wireless charging for its battery-electric models, through the implementation of an inductive system with a capacity of up to 450 kW.
This development represents a significant advancement in the electrification of the fleet for the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Last year, the city selected Highland Electric Fleets as the official provider of electric school buses for the 2028 Games, announcing that 500 of its vehicles will be put into service to transport stakeholders during the Olympics. Overall, the state of California has committed a total investment of $202 million across approximately 143 clean transportation projects, with a primary focus on the development of public transit.
