The Antelope Valley Transit Authority, which serves some 450,000 residents in parts of Los Angeles County, wants to be the first transit agency with an all-electric bus fleet. The AVTA hopes to ditch all its diesel vehicles by the end of the year and replace them with 80 fully electric versions. Because the area has the highest rate of asthma and deaths from respiratory diseases in the county according to the county health department, reducing pollutants is a high priority for Antelope Valley, which includes the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster. 

According to the article on the Star Tribune written by Eric Taub from the NY Times, "The same factors that appeal to consumers make an electric vehicle a good fit for commercial applications. Electric motors offer the low-speed torque such vehicles need, without the roar or exhaust of their diesel counterparts." In a related note on the topic, the Chicago Transit Authority agreed to buy 20 electric buses from Proterra at an estimated cost of $32 million. In May, San Francisco said it would begin buying only electric buses starting in 2025, with plans for an all-electric fleet by 2035. Thor Trucks, based in Los Angeles, also plans to offer an electric semi-truck next year. Will this be the new trend across all vehicles? Will it be mandatory? And will laws change due to it?

For the full article outlining more companies involved in electric vehicles, view at the Star Tribune here.