Electric Buses Coming To Springfield

Springfield is getting two electric-powered transit buses and could get more if they perform as expected.

City Utilities says the buses will arrive in Springfield by the end of 2020. Transit director Matt Crawford says the buses will help the utility reduce its diesel fuel costs, lower harmful tailpipe emissions and lower the fleet’s overall carbon emissions.

They are battery-powered and will be the first zero-emission vehicles in the utility’s 28-bus fleet. The two buses will replace four older diesel-powered buses.

Each of them costs $867,000. They were purchased with $1.4 million through a federal program and $368,000 from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ settlement with Volkswagen over an emissions scandal. The utility will cover $6,000 of remaining costs.