Electric Busses Coming to Southern Maine Are a Welcome Sign of Things to Come

Southern Maine is getting charged up as towns have started to adopt electric busses.

According to News Center Maine, four busses have been added to the Maine bus fleet. The first two regions to adopt the electric busses are Portland Metro and Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit. The two companies had already been running trials with the electric busses, and have decided to make the buy.

This news is certainly big, as we continue to see carbon-free innovation evolve. According to News Center Maine, the impact will be significant. They write, "the four buses are expected to offset 500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in one year of use." That's an incredible number, considering one ton of greenhouse gas emission is equivalent to driving 2,500 miles in a standard car.

The announcement of the transition was a big one that even included a video call from Senator Angus King, who has been a big supporter of this issue for years.

According to News Center Maine, this is just the beginning of a future that is hopefully a lot less carbon-loaded, with the potential of an all-electric fleet within 15-20 years.

While this news is certainly good, there are still some challenges that face the project. One of those is how well the electric buses handle the Maine winter. Officials told News Center Maine it's something they are preparing for, and will measure the performance of the bus and battery in the colder months.

This is certainly an exciting development for Maine and its southern coastal communities. It will be interesting to see if it catches on in other urban areas here in the state. After all, a healthier today is a positive step forward for the future.