Business View Magazine - January 2024

RIDE PROVIDES ZERO-EMISSION TRANSPORTATION THROUGHOUT THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT With experience fueled by innovation, RIDE (Real Innovation Delivered with Excellence) leads the heavy-duty electric vehicle industry with a dedication to the highest level of safety and reliability inspired by its shared mission to power the future. RIDE is proud to partner with RoadRUNNER Transit to provide zero-emission solutions to the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico. We applaud the agency’s commitment to provide affordable, accessible and sustainable transportation to the region with fare- free service. The five K8M RIDE transit buses are built with the industry’s safest battery. Each battery-electric bus can seat up to 32 passengers, and can be equipped with up to two ADA compliant wheelchair positions. As a one-stop mobility solution provider with more than 1,000 vehicles on the road or in production in the United States, RIDE Mobility is creating hundreds of American jobs and making battery-electric buses that are helping clean our air. The buses are purpose-built by members of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers Union, Local 105, at the BYD | RIDE Coach and Bus Facility located in Lancaster, CA. Contact info.na@ride.co to discover more on how RIDE transit buses can innovate your transportation needs. However, as technology evolved, the team began exploring inductive charging due to the complexity of installing overhead charging infrastructure. He describes their strategy to use the dwell time at the intermodal center for opportunity charging.“This method will extend the battery range, allowing us to use electric buses as direct replacements for diesel ones throughout the day,” Hanway explains. This approach reflects a strategic adaptation to the unique operational dynamics of RoadRUNNER Transit, ensuring that electric buses can be as efficient and reliable as their diesel counterparts. FORGING PARTNERSHIPS AND NAVIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES RoadRUNNER Transit’s journey towards electrification and sustainability is about upgrading its fleet and facilities, establishing key partnerships, and tackling infrastructure challenges. Bartholomew and Hanway discuss the integral collaborations and strategic planning shaping RoadRUNNER’s future. Bar tholomew begins by highlighting partnerships with educational institutions. “Since our inception in 1986, we’ve had a strong relationship with New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College,” he says. These partnerships involve providing specialized route services to these campuses, reflecting RoadRUNNER’s commitment to serving the educational community. However, he notes a gap in partnerships with medical facilities, indicating potential areas for future The challenge was not just about adding electric buses but also building out the necessary power infrastructure, a first in this region 247 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 01 ROADRUNNER TRANSI T