Austin Buses Now Run 22 Hours Daily Using On-Route Chargers

CapMetro opened two new park-and-ride facilities in Austin that allow electric buses to operate for up to 22 hours each day.

The Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center terminals began serving the Rapid 800 and Rapid 837 routes this week. Both locations were announced in June and now feature overhead pantograph charging equipment.

The charging network includes CapMetro's main bus depot, where partner Camber Charging installed two 1,440 kW systems. These systems connect to 48 industrial dispensers, creating a total capacity of 2.9 MW. The depot can charge up to 48 electric buses simultaneously during the night.

The new terminals extend this charging capability to the ends of the Rapid 800 and 837 lines. Buses top up their batteries at these locations, which enables them to complete return trips without range limitations.

Andy Skabowski, CapMetro's Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President, stated that on-route charging significantly increases vehicle uptime. "Instead of a typical bus holding 8 hours of charging, on-route charging takes that out to 20 to 22 hours," Skabowski said. "Every time that pantograph drops, we charge that bus. That's what makes a commitment like (every) 10- to 15-minute service possible."

The agency uses Xcelsior battery-electric transit buses manufactured by New Flyer. These vehicles provide up to 320 all-electric horsepower. New Flyer states the platform can offer up to 660 kWh of available battery capacity.

Camber Charging provides preventive maintenance, charger management software, and remote diagnostics for all three charging sites.