New Jersey Transit‘s Newton Avenue Bus Garage in Camden is ready to plug into the future of electric buses.
Eight electric vehicle chargers at the garage have been installed, according to an announcement from NJ Transit CEO and President Kevin Corbett.
Corbett, along with U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1st Dist.) and other officials officially commemorated the first electric bus charging system installed in a NJ Transit bus garage, which is set for deployment out of Camden later this year.
The chargers and associated infrastructure upgrades represent the next step in NJ Transit’s goal of transitioning to a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040.
“The future of transportation is clean energy, and it’s no surprise that Camden is ahead of the curve in adopting these technologies,” Norcross said. “These buses not only get us closer to a zero-emissions future, but they also make our communities healthier today by immediately reducing emissions in our neighborhoods and cities. The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act will build upon state efforts by plugging New Jersey into a nationwide EV charging network, making clean energy transportation more available to personal vehicles as well.”
The program’s success will be the model that the rest of the state will follow as it works to foster a clean energy economy.
In September 2020, NJ Transit’s board of directors awarded a $3.235 million contract to Scalfo Electric of Vineland to renovate the Newton Avenue Bus Garage with electric vehicle charging stations and other associated infrastructure modifications.
The Camden project is a first of its kind initiative for NJ Transit, which will test electric buses in real-world conditions on specific routes. The project will also review the infrastructure resources and work required to modernize NJ Transit’s bus garages to accept new charging stations, and the significantly greater power feeds needed to energize them.
