A $6.85 million contract has been approved that will mean the addition of eight new electric buses at BWI Marshall Airport.
Seventy nine percent of the price for the eight buses will come from Maryland’s share of the Volkswagen emissions cheating settlement fund.
The contract with New Flyer of America Inc. was approved Tuesday by Maryland’s Board of Public Works, with Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford sitting in as chair for Gov. Larry Hogan. The configured price is $858,363.70 per bus, according to the board’s agenda.
The 40-foot buses will provide shuttle service between parking lots and the airport terminal, according to a news release from the airport.
“The purchase of electric buses is an important element of our statewide strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Hogan said in the news release. “Maryland is investing in a future that serves the public with the latest technology and environmental responsibility.”
Ricky Smith, BWI Marshall’s executive director, said the buses won’t just reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they’ll also reduce operating costs.
“The new buses represent an important step forward in our efforts to foster sustainability,” Smith said.
The buses will have 24 seats with luggage racks. And as a bonus, the electric shuttles have USB charging ports, too.
New Flyer of America Inc. designs and manufactures the buses, which have no combustion engines and can drive off battery-power for 200 miles per charge.
The contract goes into effect March 24, but the airport didn’t provide a timeline on exactly when travelers will start riding on the electric buses.