LA Metro Approves $337.7 Million Contract for 220 Battery-Electric Buses to Accelerate Zero-Emission Fleet Ahead of 2028 Olympics

A Landmark $337.7 Million Commitment to Clean Urban Mobility

LOS ANGELES, California — In a decisive investment aimed at modernizing and decarbonizing Southern California’s vast public transit grid, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) Board of Directors has formally approved a landmark $337.7 million contract with ElDorado National California (ENC) for the manufacture and delivery of 220 heavy-duty battery-electric buses (BEBs). The multi-million-dollar procurement represents the single largest clean transit vehicle purchase in the agency's history, more than doubling its active zero-emission bus fleet as Los Angeles rapidly prepares to host millions of global spectators for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The approval aligns directly with LA Metro’s statutory Clean Air Action Plan and its aggressive climate mandate to transition its entire 2,200-bus commercial fleet away from compressed natural gas (CNG) to 100% zero-tailpipe-emission technology well ahead of California’s statewide 2040 transit deadline.

High-Capacity American-Made Electric Rolling Stock

Under the approved agreement, ENC will manufacture 40-foot low-floor Axess battery-electric buses at its state-of-the-art production facility in Riverside, California, supporting hundreds of local unionized advanced manufacturing jobs under federal Buy America compliance standards. Each vehicle is engineered with heavy-duty lithium-ion battery packs offering an operational range exceeding 150 miles per charge under demanding urban traffic conditions.

The new electric buses feature 100% low-floor passenger step-free boarding, automated wheelchair securement ramps, regenerative braking that channels energy back into the power banks during decelerations, and high-efficiency heat pump climate systems engineered to withstand Southern California heatwaves while minimizing auxiliary power drain.

Strategic Depot Charging Infrastructure Across South LA and the Valley

To support the influx of 220 electric vehicles, LA Metro is concurrently accelerating high-capacity charging infrastructure upgrades across key operational divisions. Significant capital works are underway at Division 9 in El Monte and Division 18 in Carson, installing high-capacity overhead inverted pantograph chargers and heavy-duty direct current (DC) plug-in dispensers tied into smart microgrid battery storage systems.

The charging installations are engineered to charge buses during off-peak nighttime hours, mitigating strain on the local electrical grid while ensuring high route reliability. Funding for the purchase and infrastructure works is anchored by a competitive $104 million federal grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission Vehicle Program, matched by regional Measure R and Measure M sales tax revenues.

Slashing Emissions and Fostering Environmental Equity

Civic and environmental advocates praised the investment, noting that the first batches of ENC electric buses will be prioritized for deployment along high-frequency transit lines operating through frontline, historically transit-dependent communities across South Los Angeles, East LA, and the San Fernando Valley. Removing diesel and gas exhaust from corridors such as Vermont Avenue, Broadway, and Van Nuys Boulevard is projected to eliminate thousands of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter annually.

Metro leadership emphasized that delivering a whisper-quiet, exhaust-free transit network will not only transform the daily commute for more than 800,000 weekday bus riders but also showcase Los Angeles to the world as an undisputed pioneer of clean urban transportation innovation.