Governor Roy Cooper and Greensboro city leaders came out to celebrate the city's move to all-electric buses.
Six electric buses are already operating throughout the city and four more are on order. The rechargeable buses will save the city up to $350,000 per bus each year.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said these new buses have other benefits beyond financial savings.
“When it comes to transportation, sustainability is important all the way around,” she said. “I'm really excited about this. I'm excited that Greensboro really is showing a leadership position when it comes to transportation in the state.”
The buses were funded in part by grants and a 2016 bond referendum. The buses are quieter and will use no fossil fuels.
Governor Roy Cooper said having these types of buses in the state makes sense.
“This is smarter, this is the way of the future and this is a way for us to make sure we create better paying jobs in North Carolina and become healthier and cleaner while we're doing it,” he said.
Greensboro hopes to replace its more than 50 other buses with all-electric models by this fall. At that point, the city will have the second-largest fleet of electric buses on the East Coast after Philadelphia.
