An electric bus will be buzzing around State College next week.
CATA will be hosting the Xcelsior Electric — a specially designed no-emissions vehicle. CATA public relations manager Jackie Sheader announced that the bus will be active as either a White or Blue Loop March 13-17. Each day, CATA will announce on Twitter and Facebook which route the bus will take.
The electric bus is a product of the Winnipeg-based company, New Flyer. According to New Flyer, up to 160 tons of greenhouse gases can be saved in a year with the Xcelsior in use compared to an average bus.
The Xcelsior Electric can be charged on the move and is linked to CATA’s headquarters, where monitors can track the bus’ location, fuel efficiency, and safety.
Passengers riding the electric bus will be asked for feedback and in return, will be entered into a raffle for an undisclosed prize.
Most of CATA’s current buses are run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), according to Sheader. The company completely switched to CNG in 2005 to reduce their carbon footprint. CNG produces fewer emissions than traditional diesel.
Sheader added that a lot of transportation companies are trying to become more green. As technology continues to improve and become cheaper, the electric bus might be the norm one day.
