Metro’s Battery Electric Buses

Electric bus parked by a road, with trees and water in the background.

In May 2022, Greater Portland Metro and Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit (BSOOB Transit) each welcomed two battery electric buses (BEB’s) to our fleets. The buses are manufactured by Proterra in North Carolina. They are the first electric buses to provide fixed-route transit service in Maine in more than 20 years.

The electric buses are expected to be about five times more energy efficient than their diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) counterparts. BEB’s are also significantly quieter than fossil fuel buses, and emit zero tailpipe emissions, improving air quality.

These first modern electric buses are a pilot, intended to test the battery technology over the course of the changing seasons in Maine. Metro intends to begin exclusively procuring BEB’s to replace end-of-life diesel and CNG fleet by 2026, assuming the pilot is successful. Metro has committed to have a carbon-neutral fleet by 2040.

To mark the occasion, Metro partnered with Pavlon out of Fort Worth, TX to create a unique design for our electric buses.

Full Projects List