Santa Monica has arrived

Public transit gets a charge

This month, Santa Monica came together to experience the clean power and potential - of the first-ever GILLIG battery electric bus, powered by Cummins. Everyone from local riders to government officials got to experience the latest in electric transit innovation.

Officially on board 

The battery electric bus was on display around town, from downtown to the pier. City Manager Rick Cole was one of several people to ride the bus and discover first-hand how it could be the answer to a greener future for the city.

“Getting on board this big, beautiful bus is the way of the future,” said Cole. 

The rollout of the bus is the first step in Big Blue Bus system’s transition to a clean energy fleet by 2030. Riders can experience the new zero-emission bus in service on regular routes in Santa Monica.

Built on experience

The battery electric bus is the latest innovation from the partnership between GILLIG and Cummins, two of the most respected names in heavy-duty transit.

With over 200 years of combined experience, GILLIG and Cummins have a long history of collaborating to develop power solutions for transit applications.

Cummins battery packs were designed specifically for GILLIG buses and feature a single-source system design for drive motor, battery management system, and energy storage.

“The drivers’ response to the new bus has been great,” said Hector Calvinisti, Transit Training Coordinator at Big Blue Bus.

“They are really surprised about how well it performs on our mobility landscape, especially when it goes up hills. The technology has really advanced over the past few years, so we are really fortunate to be able to work with the bus.”

This is just the beginning. The Cummins-powered GILLIG battery electric bus is now available to cities around the country. Read more about the zero-emission bus here.