Ventura, CA - Buses on the Ventura County roadways have never been this clean – zero-emissions clean. Privately funded by Camarillo-based Roadrunner Shuttle, an all-electric remanufactured bus from Complete Coach Works (CCW) is set to be incorporated into the Ventura County Transportation Commission’s (VCTC) VISTA service and will be demonstrated on Monday, December 2 on the Cal State University Channel Islands-Camarillo route from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“The Commission has long desired to pursue ways to keep Ventura County ‘green,’ and this demonstration gives us an opportunity to test the feasibility of taking an initial step toward cleaner fuels. We appreciate Roadrunner for the leadership in working with VCTC on this demonstration,” noted VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle. “The bus can reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 30 cars off the road, while saving thousands of dollars on operating costs, making it its efficient and ‘clean.’ We are thrilled to welcome the bus to the fleet and cannot wait to see the far-reach benefits realized throughout the Ventura County community.”

Riverside-based CCW delivered its first Zero Emissions Propulsion System (ZEPS) Bus to Ben Franklin Transit in Richmond, Wash., for testing in early 2013.

The bus, which is a Gillig bus retrofitted with the all-electric system and costing approximately $500,000, has a 100-mile range and fully charges in approximately five hours, making the 25-minute-round-trip VISTA CSUCI-Camarillo route ideal for the demonstration. The route travels between CSUCI and the Camarillo Metrolink Station, which is currently being upgraded with the installation of electric-vehicle charging stations.

“The Transportation Commission has said it wanted to pursue alternative fuels, so in anticipation of the Commission’s needs, we went out to all the bus manufacturers and found this bus to be the most viable for VISTA routes, both the size and the cost of the bus,” said Roadrunner General Manager Charles Sandlin. “Compressed natural gas still gives off emissions, while full-electric vehicles (such as this one) do not. It is cleaner and quieter, and we are excited to get it on the road.”

All VISTA CSUCI-Camarillo buses will run as scheduled on Dec. 2, including the ZEPS Bus, which will be incorporated into VISTA’s normal timetable.

To view the updated VISTA schedules or to learn more about local transit options, visit www.goventura.org or call (800) 438-1112.