UCLA receives $20M to electrify bus fleet and deploy California’s first in-road EV charging system

The Events and Transportation Department at UCLA has secured a grant from the state of California totaling nearly $20 million. The funding will be used to transition the university’s bus fleet to 100% electric vehicles, expand service, and fund California’s first in-road EV charging system with the help of Electreon.

UCLA is one of the more prominent universities in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area and wields its presence in
California by promoting sustainable technologies. The school recently shared plans to electrify its entire campus transit service, BruinBus, in anticipation of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will take place around its home city.

Recently, UCLA announced the award of a grant that will help make its transition to electric buses possible. The grant will also enable the deployment of a wireless in-road EV charging program with Electreon—the first of its kind in California.

California’s first in-road EV charging is coming to UCLA

UCLA Events and Transportation shared details of the new grant from the California State Transportation Agency’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, totaling $19.85 million. The grant was awarded in collaboration with  CALSTART — a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating clean transportation in California, wireless charging provider Electreon.

Currently, UCLA’s BruinBus routes connect students across residential neighborhoods, the Westwood Village commercial district, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, academic buildings, and other facilities around campus.

Per UCLA, the grant will expand its fleet of five all-electric buses and an all-electric passenger van by adding another eight EV buses. Additionally, Electreon will install inductive charging coils below the road along routes on Charles E. Young Drive between the Westwood Plaza intersection and Murphy Hall.

A first-of-its-kind in California, Electreon’s wireless EV charging technology (seen above) will enable electric passenger shuttles and heavy-duty buses to recharge while driving atop those routes. Electreon has already successfully deployed the same technology along routes in Detroit and recently announced an expansion of the services to support commercial delivery vehicles.

Additionally, UCLA will install static wireless charging spots at passenger pick-up and drop-off locations and transit depots, including a new transit hub between the UCLA bus depot and the planned UCLA/Westwood station. Per Clinton Bench, director of UCLA Fleet and Transit:

The new transit hub and extension will be a game-changer for connectivity in Westwood. It will make it easier for everyone to travel between UCLA and key destinations throughout Los Angeles, especially as the city prepares to host the Olympics, thereby fostering a more integrated and accessible urban landscape.

The electrified bus fleets and wireless EV charging areas are expected to be fully operational in California in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.