Public transportation is going electric in two Virginia communities with an exciting new project that will provide new chargers for transit and public use. A grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for a partnership between Dominion Energy and Virginia Clean Cities (VCC) will make an impact on public transit that could be a model for the future.
Project Share Your eNroute Charge (SYNC) creates a pilot charging network for rural transit vehicles along their routes. The program plans to add much needed chargers to two targeted areas in the commonwealth. This network will also be available to public electric vehicle (EV) drivers to use when the buses are not charging. The chargers will benefit the local transit agencies and EV drivers as well as EV drivers traveling through these communities.
“Increasing access to EV chargers in any town has obvious benefits to the local community. But EV drivers everywhere want the ability to travel wherever they need to go, even rural Virginia. The more chargers there are in communities like this, the more endless the travel options become for EV drivers,” says Nathan Frost, General Manager of New Business & Customer Solutions for Dominion Energy.
“Electrifying public transportation has many positive impacts,” said VCC’s Executive Director Alleyn Harned. “Air quality will inevitably improve; these transit systems will see cost savings over time, and we move another step closer to our overarching goal of energy security here in the U.S.”
Two well-known rural transit agencies are participating to assess optimal charging locations and study operational opportunities and constraints: Jaunt and Bay Transit. Jaunt, based in Charlottesville, serves the surrounding six-county area. Bay Transit originated in Gloucester County and services the Northern-Neck Middle peninsula, New Kent and Charles City. Dominion Energy will provide and install the charging infrastructure along the routes. With support from the Virginia Department of Public Rail & Transportation, the project will share its learnings and best practices with other transit providers.
The results of Project SYNC will serve as a business model for installing enroute EV charging for other public transit agencies. More on the project and updates can be found on the Virginia Clean Cities website.