Full Title: Energizing Public Transit for Islands: Lessons from Bermuda’s Electric Bus Initiative
Author(s): Aradhana Gahlaut, Raquel Soat, and Edward J. Klock-McCook
Publisher(s): Rocky Mountain Institute
Publication Date: November 7, 2024
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Description (excerpt):
On track to completely electrify its public bus fleet by 2030, the Government of Bermuda has successfully deployed 70 electric transit buses in its fleet as of 2024, leading to nearly 100 percent electric daily operations. This has provided substantial economic and environmental benefits to the island nation while enabling the Bermuda Department of Public Transportation (DPT) to replace a significant portion of its aging diesel bus fleet and provide high-quality public transit service.
Bermuda’s e-bus deployment has spurred the Government of Bermuda to drive transportation decarbonization efforts such as electrifying government fleet vehicles, developing national electrification policy initiatives, and developing solutions to upcoming challenges such as battery disposal. Coupled with the expansion of locally generated renewable energy, Bermuda is well-positioned to benefit significantly from the EV transition, leading to a more sustainable, economical, and resilient future.
This report dives into the planning and implementation learnings from Bermuda’s e-bus initiative and provides insight into the varied economic and environmental benefits of these vehicles. It covers the barriers overcome by DPT and solutions employed to ensure success, presenting a set of best practices as relevant lessons for other transit electrification projects around the world.