AVTA Puts Electric Support Vehicles Into Service

The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) placed into service four new battery-electric support vehicles to support fixed route transit operations. These vehicles, all-electric 2023 Chevrolet Bolts, were purchased locally from Antelope Valley Chevrolet.

In 2016, the AVTA Board of Directors adopted a goal to procure and operate a 100% battery-electric fleet.  Since then, AVTA achieved the first all-electric local bus fleet in North America in 2020, and the first all-electric commuter fleet in 2022. The next step of this process is to add battery-electric support vehicles for fixed-route transit operations.

“The AVTA Board continues to hold to our vision of an all-electric transit agency, including support vehicles,” said AVTA Chairman of the Board Marvin Crist. “We are very pleased that AVTA was able to fulfill the RFP from a local business here in the Antelope Valley.”

In the June Board meeting, the AVTA Board of Directors unanimously authorized Executive Director/CEO Martin Tompkins to purchase the vehicles and put them into service. In August, the AVTA Chevy Bolts made their first appearance with custom designed wraps to complement AVTA’s all-electric zero emission local bus fleet.

AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.