Phoenix Launches Hybrid Bus Fleet

The city aims to have a zero-emissions transit fleet by 2040.

1 minute read

August 13, 2024, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Black and purple hybrid Phoenix Public Transit bus.

A new hybrid bus in Phoenix, Arizona. | City of Phoenix / Phoenix Public Transit

Phoenix is closer to its goal of a zero-emissions public transit fleet by 2040 as the first set of hybrid buses make their way onto the city’s streets.

“The city of Phoenix said the newly dispatched buses are equipped with a hybrid-electric motor and batteries and a biodiesel-fueled engine, a combination meant to produce greater fuel economy and less pollution,” according to an article from KTAR News.

The buses have a range of over 500 miles and can hold up to 53 passengers. The fleet is funded by a $16.3 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Phoenix Public Transit currently has a fleet of 500 buses that run on alternative fuels such as natural gas and biodiesel. The grant is aimed at replacing the entire fleet with clean vehicles and installing charging and maintenance infrastructure.

Saturday, August 10, 2024 in KTAR

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

A Metro bus drives down a street on a rainy day. Parallel to the bus is a line of parked cars, then, a line of umbrellas.

LA Metro’s ultimatum: no extra buses for LA28 if federal funding isn’t imminently secured

If Metro does not provide additional buses, LA28 organizers will have to find a new way to manage Olympic traffic. LA28’s budget does not include a line item for transit.

5 seconds ago - LAist

Geese flock to a frozen pond in Aurora, Colorado. There are houses in the background.

Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing

The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.

1 hour ago - Capital & Main

A cluster of wind turbines beneath a stormy sky, above a forest where the leaves are beginning to change colors.

5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project

Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.

September 16 - Inside Climate News

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.