Augusta Rolls Out Electric Bus Fleet, Leading Green Transit Push in CSRA

Five electric buses are now part of August Transit. The city leads the Central Savannah River Area with its first battery-powered public transit. Service started this week.

Officials unveiled the buses at a recent ribbon-cutting. The $6.2 million project was 90% covered by the Low Emission, No Emission program, with the city covering $100,000.

"In Augusta, we are the first transit agency in the CSRA that has a battery electric bus," said Oliver Page, deputy director for Augusta Transit, according to The Augusta Chronicle. "This is a major achievement for the city of Augusta."

Workers in California built the buses last summer. The package came with charging stations and backup systems. Six more buses will join by 2028.

Mayor Garnett Johnson stressed transit's key role. "Transit provides opportunities for jobs, opportunities for education, and opportunities for affordable housing," Johnson told The Augusta Chronicle.

By 2031, Augusta wants all its non-emergency vehicles to run emission-free. This follows the path set by former Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. in 2021.

"It's cheaper to operate over the life of the bus than a diesel bus," Page said. "The upfront cost is higher, but at the end of 14 years, the amount of money spent on maintenance and other things is far less than a diesel bus."