Electric Buses Ready to Roll in San Joaquin County

STOCKTON (CBS13) — The San Joaquin Regional Transit District rolled out the quietest pair of buses in all of Northern California on Monday.

The new buses are battery operated.

"They're all electric, we aren't using any diesel or hybrid technology at all," said district spokeswoman Donna DeMartino.

A grant from the California Energy Commission and the bus manufacturer, Proterra, helped the district pay for the $4 million project.

The 35-foot-long buses recharge for 10 minutes every two hours, and will save on fuel costs.

"These are expected to get a 20 miles per gallon equivalent," DeMartino said. "We buy nearly a million gallons of fuel a year, so this is a big deal.

This is the latest project to help air quality in the San Joaquin Valley.

Almost 10 years ago, the transportation agency introduced the first pair of low-emission hybrid buses in the state.

The buses unveiled Monday will be in service starting next month.