Los Angeles on Thursday announced plans to have a fleet of fully electric, zero-emissions buses by 2030.
Authorities in the US metropolis said the project, which involves the purchase of 2,200 vehicles, would cost about US$1 billion over the next 10 years.
“Today’s vote represents an enormous investment in the future of a healthy and prosperous Los Angeles,” said Hilda Solis, a Metro board member.
The current fleet operates on compressed natural gas (CNG), seen as the most environmentally friendly option when the buses were purchased in the 1990s.
A CNG coalition had previously protested the transition, arguing that, while the goals were worthy, electric buses were not yet a reliable technology.
The state of California has positioned itself at the forefront in the fight against carbon emissions, despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to roll back legislation enacted by former US president Barack Obama and to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord.
Separately, US and California regulators are expected to approve Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s request to sell 2017 diesel vehicles, two sources said on Thursday — a move that may help the Italian-American automaker win approval for a software fix for older diesel models.
The software upgrade does not affect performance or durability and could be announced soon, the people said.
In May, the US Department of Justice sued Fiat Chrysler, accusing it of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 diesel Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks sold since 2014.
The company has denied any wrongdoing, saying there was never an attempt create software to cheat emissions rules.
The timing of the announcement was in flux, as Fiat Chrysler and the California Air Resources Board were still hammering out some final issues, according to the two people briefed on the matter, who could not be identified because the matter was not yet public.
Fiat Chrysler chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne on Thursday said he is more confident that the company would reach a resolution soon with US regulators over the alleged excess emissions.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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