CapMetro opens two terminals to keep electric buses on the road for 22 hours

CapMetro has opened two new park-and-ride facilities in Austin that feature overhead pantograph charging systems for its electric bus fleet. The terminals, located at Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center, began service alongside the Rapid 800 and Rapid 837 routes this week. The agency first announced the construction of these sites in June.

The infrastructure extends a charging network that originated at the transit agency's main bus depot. Camber Charging, the infrastructure partner, installed two 1,440 kW charging systems at the depot. These systems connect to 48 industrial dispensers, creating a total capacity of 2.9 MW. The depot setup is designed to charge up to 48 electric buses simultaneously during overnight hours.

The new terminals allow buses to recharge at the end of each route rather than returning to the central depot for a full charge. This on-route approach enables vehicles to make the return trip without range limitations. CapMetro Chief Operations Officer and Executive VP Andy Skabowski stated that this method increases daily service time. "Instead of a typical bus holding 8 hours of charging, on-route charging takes that out to 20 to 22 hours," Skabowski said. He added that frequent charging enables the agency to commit to 10 to 15 minute service intervals.

The vehicles operating on these lines are built on the Xcelsior battery-electric transit platform manufactured by New Flyer. The Canadian company states the platform can offer up to 660 kWh of available battery capacity. The buses produce up to 320 all-electric horsepower and provide full torque at 0 rpm. These specifications are intended to handle Austin's stop-and-go traffic patterns.

Camber Charging provides preventive maintenance and remote diagnostics across all three charging locations. The company also supplies charger and energy management software for the network. The new terminals offer improved passenger amenities in addition to the charging equipment at the termini of the Rapid 800 and 837 lines.