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New Hybrid TCAT Buses Set to Arrive
More Advanced Technology
TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones has announced that two new hybrid buses are on their way to Ithaca. The initial order for the two buses was placed in April 2025. They’re are expected to last between 12 and 14 years, or half a million miles, and cost TCAT $932,867 each.
The new buses will join TCAT’s fleet of about 50 vehicles, most of which are diesel powered. Once they arrive from California, the new hybrids will replace older buses that have surpassed their useful lives. There is currently only one other hybrid bus in active use — one of five older buses donated to TCAT by Capitol District Transit Authority in Albany last April.
“We’ve had hybrids in the past,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “But these [new vehicles] are a much more advanced bus than what’s available on those [older] buses. The technology has really improved quite a bit. They are like a different generation of bus, but we’re familiar with the basic concept.”
While the new hybrid buses will still use diesel fuel, they boast new technology which allows them to switch between electric and conventional power in a more strategic manner.
“[One new feature] basically allows the bus to shut down the diesel engine in a specific geographic area, so the bus runs in all electric mode,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “So areas that are particularly sensitive to noise or pollution would benefit a lot from this feature.”
Rosenbloom-Jones said TCAT can essentially draw a map to define electric-only areas using a GPS “geo-fence.” Potential contenders include certain neighborhoods that see a lot of late night service such as the Pine Tree Road corridor on East Hill.
The hybrid buses will also rely more on their electric power when moving slowly or idling more frequently. Rosenbloom-Jones said that feature will help cut down on emissions in more congested areas like Collegetown or downtown Ithaca.
The transit agency also has six fully electric buses in rotation, also manufactured by Gillig. Rosenbloom-Jones said the electric buses in the current fleet have performed very well compared to an initial set of now-unusable electric buses that TCAT purchased in 2021 from the now-defunct manufacturer Proterra.
Asked why TCAT opted to go for hybrid over full electric buses, Rosenbloom-Jones said it was a matter of planning and capacity. At present, TCAT’s depot can only accommodate chargers for a maximum of eight full electric buses. The agency had initially set the goal of an emissions free fleet by 2035.
“Long term […] there needs to be additional investment in the grid,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “And the problem, as I understand it, is that our facility draws electric power off of a really old creaky substation at the end of South Cayuga Street. If we were to keep adding capacity for charging, that transformer station couldn’t handle that level of load.”
Rosenbloom-Jones said he is hoping to draw on the last of a green infrastructure grant to purchase a few more battery-electric buses. Pending approval from TCAT’s governing board, the purchase could potentially bring the size of the all-electric fleet to its maximum of eight.
Megan Zerez, Ithaca Voice, 2/17/26
TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones has announced that two new hybrid buses are on their way to Ithaca. The initial order for the two buses was placed in April 2025. They’re are expected to last between 12 and 14 years, or half a million miles, and cost TCAT $932,867 each.
The new buses will join TCAT’s fleet of about 50 vehicles, most of which are diesel powered. Once they arrive from California, the new hybrids will replace older buses that have surpassed their useful lives. There is currently only one other hybrid bus in active use — one of five older buses donated to TCAT by Capitol District Transit Authority in Albany last April.
“We’ve had hybrids in the past,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “But these [new vehicles] are a much more advanced bus than what’s available on those [older] buses. The technology has really improved quite a bit. They are like a different generation of bus, but we’re familiar with the basic concept.”
While the new hybrid buses will still use diesel fuel, they boast new technology which allows them to switch between electric and conventional power in a more strategic manner.“[One new feature] basically allows the bus to shut down the diesel engine in a specific geographic area, so the bus runs in all electric mode,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “So areas that are particularly sensitive to noise or pollution would benefit a lot from this feature.”
Rosenbloom-Jones said TCAT can essentially draw a map to define electric-only areas using a GPS “geo-fence.” Potential contenders include certain neighborhoods that see a lot of late night service such as the Pine Tree Road corridor on East Hill.
The hybrid buses will also rely more on their electric power when moving slowly or idling more frequently. Rosenbloom-Jones said that feature will help cut down on emissions in more congested areas like Collegetown or downtown Ithaca.
The transit agency also has six fully electric buses in rotation, also manufactured by Gillig. Rosenbloom-Jones said the electric buses in the current fleet have performed very well compared to an initial set of now-unusable electric buses that TCAT purchased in 2021 from the now-defunct manufacturer Proterra.
Asked why TCAT opted to go for hybrid over full electric buses, Rosenbloom-Jones said it was a matter of planning and capacity. At present, TCAT’s depot can only accommodate chargers for a maximum of eight full electric buses. The agency had initially set the goal of an emissions free fleet by 2035.
“Long term […] there needs to be additional investment in the grid,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “And the problem, as I understand it, is that our facility draws electric power off of a really old creaky substation at the end of South Cayuga Street. If we were to keep adding capacity for charging, that transformer station couldn’t handle that level of load.”
Rosenbloom-Jones said he is hoping to draw on the last of a green infrastructure grant to purchase a few more battery-electric buses. Pending approval from TCAT’s governing board, the purchase could potentially bring the size of the all-electric fleet to its maximum of eight.
Megan Zerez, Ithaca Voice, 2/17/26
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