Shocking: New Kansas City Electric Buses Probably Won't Save The Planet

Here's a headline to consider for those last few d-bags who mistakenly believe that their Teslas will save the world . . . 

Electric vehicles certainly are dirty — their battery packs are poised to be one of the biggest new sources of pollution

Meanwhile, here's Eco-friendly news from 12th & Oak . . .

KCI to purchase more electric buses

The number of electric buses at Kansas City International Airport is doubling, thanks to the City Council’s decision to purchase seven new BYD battery-electric vehicles.

The new buses will supplement the seven already serving the Economy Parking operation at KCI and expand Kansas City’s growing list of green initiatives.

The Aviation Department will see major cost savings by operating the electric buses because they reduce fuel and maintenance costs by tens of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the bus.

In 2017, the Aviation Department purchased four battery-electric coach buses – the first electric buses in airport passenger service in the United States. In another U.S. airport first, Aviation directed Momentum Dynamics (now InductEV) to install a wireless charging system in the New Terminal for its electric buses. The inductive system will provide incremental charging to the electric shuttle buses at stops, thus keeping them in service longer along the seven-mile loop.

“The Kansas City Aviation Department has long been at the forefront in implementing the latest in environmentally friendly programs and vehicles,” said Kansas City Director of Aviation Pat Klein. “In 1997, we deployed a fleet of the first compressed natural gas mass transit vehicles in regular use in Kansas City. We are one-upping that milestone by purchasing electric buses to lessen fleet emissions, with a goal of a 100 percent electric bus fleet in coming years.”

The approved purchase amount is slightly more than $4.8 million, but the Aviation Department is looking to execute a contract with local environmental nonprofit Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) to accept and approve $732,800 grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy to support the purchase of four of the seven buses. The balance of $3,020,382 would come from airport revenues.

“MEC has gladly assisted the airport with its clean bus initiatives since 1996, upon the formation of Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition,” Executive Director of Metropolitan Energy Center Kelly Gilbert. “Today we are excited to help usher in a new era for emission-free client transportation around the new airport terminal. The airport joins seven other area organizations electrifying their fleets during the first phase of a new project that will reduce emissions in, and increase funding to, under-resourced areas of Missouri and Kansas.” 

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