Oakland Airport added its first battery electric shuttle buses, which it will use in its parking shuttle fleet. The airport purchased five electric buses from RIDE that will serve passenger and employee parking lots.

“We celebrate the introduction of our clean, new electric shuttles here at OAK. We look forward to continuing our path towards an all-electric bus fleet in the coming years,” said Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Craig Simon in a statement. “Passengers and employees that utilize the new state-of-the-art buses can enjoy quiet, spacious, comfortable, and modern vehicle interiors without emissions!”

The five vehicles are the first battery-electric buses to enter service at the airport and will help position it to meet state electrification regulations. This step also paves the way for the eventual electrification of the airport’s remaining shuttle buses, which are currently powered by renewable natural gas (RNG). Fleet electrification will continue over the next decade until the airport reaches a 100% zero-emission shuttle bus fleet.

The new buses and associated charging infrastructure are partially funded by three different grant programs, including approximately $1.5 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program funding, $600,000 from the California Air Resources Board Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP) and nearly $600,000 from the California Energy Commission Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Project (EnergIIZE) Project.

OAK is wrapping up construction on a state-of-the-art bus charging depot to accommodate its growing electric bus fleet. Charging infrastructure for the new electric buses, including five new Heliox 180kW DC fast chargers, have been commissioned at the airport for this purpose.