Committee backs forwarding SFMTA contract to buy six Solaris battery-electric buses

The Budget and Finance Committee on Sept. 3 voted to forward to the full Board of Supervisors a resolution authorizing the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to contract with Solaris Bus US Inc. to procure three 40-foot and three 60-foot battery-electric buses, plus spare parts, tools, manuals and training. The procurement is structured through an option established under a King County Metro procurement and anticipates contract expenditures of about $9.96 million (approximately $10.8 million including taxes and contingency), with total project costs — including testing, technical support and warranty work — not to exceed about $13.94 million.

Marley Miller of SFMTA’s transit program delivery team said the purchase is part of a broader plan to replace 112 hybrid buses nearing the end of a 12-year service life and to increase the agency’s battery-electric fleet consistent with its zero-emission vehicle policy. Miller said the city currently has electrical infrastructure for 18 additional battery-electric buses and that the six Solaris buses would be part of that 18-bus set. “We can't use federal funds to pay for them,” Miller said, noting the buses would be made in Poland and that federal funding is not eligible until Solaris establishes U.S.-based manufacturing.

The procurement team said diversifying suppliers will help the agency reduce price risk and avoid overreliance on a single manufacturer; Solaris, a large European zero-emission bus manufacturer, offers 60-foot buses currently available only from another supplier in North America. The Budget and Legislative Analyst’s office described the contract as 4–18% less expensive per bus than a recent New Flyer contract and recommended approval.

The committee forwarded the resolution to the full board with a positive recommendation on a 3-0 vote. There were no public speakers on the item.