Austin Transit Agency Opens Two Park-and-Rides With Overhead Chargers for Electric Buses
CapMetro has launched two electric bus routes and two new park-and-ride facilities equipped with overhead pantograph chargers to keep its 48 battery-electric buses running through the day.
By News Media House Staff ·
Austin's transit agency, CapMetro, has electrified two public bus lines and opened two new park-and-ride facilities that use overhead, pantograph-style wired charging equipment. The upgrades are meant to support a growing fleet of electric buses serving the city.
The two facilities, named Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center, were first announced in June and are now open. They began operating alongside the agency's Rapid 800 and Rapid 837 electric bus routes, bringing improved passenger amenities and charging infrastructure at the end of each line.
The charging network begins at CapMetro's main bus depot, where infrastructure partner Camber Charging supplied and installed two 1,440 kW charging systems. These connect to 48 industrial dispensers, giving the depot a total charging capacity of 2.9 MW. The setup is designed to charge as many as 48 electric buses at once overnight.
The new Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center terminals extend that network along the Rapid 800 and 837 routes. Their overhead pantograph chargers are the centerpiece of the project, letting buses top up their batteries at the end of each run so they can make the return trip without range concerns.
CapMetro Chief Operations Officer and Executive VP Andy Skabowski said the on-route approach greatly extends how long a bus can stay in service. "Instead of a typical bus holding 8 hours of charging, on-route charging takes that out to 20 to 22 hours," he explained. "Every time that pantograph drops, we charge that bus. That's what makes a commitment like (every) 10- to 15-minute service possible."
The vehicles are built on the Xcelsior battery-electric transit platform from Canadian manufacturer New Flyer. Battery specifications were not included in the release, though New Flyer says the platform can offer up to 660 kWh of available capacity. The buses deliver up to 320 all-electric horsepower, with full torque available at 0 rpm, which should suit Austin's stop-and-go traffic.
Camber Charging also provides preventive maintenance, charger and energy management software, and remote diagnostics across all three charging locations.
Source: Electrek
