Racine-based
Modine, a manufacturer of thermal management and ventilation solutions, is collaborating with RYDE Racine, the city’s public transportation system, as the city expands its fleet of electric buses.
As part of an initiative to modernize and reduce public transit fleet emissions, the City of Racine has purchased nine all-electric buses that use Modine’s EVantage thermal management system. The city also has an outstanding order for four additional EVs.
"Racine has set an ambitious goal to reduce the carbon footprint of our public transit system, and we're achieving this objective by bus," said
Trevor Jung, transit and mobility director at the City of Racine. "As we increase the size of our zero-emission bus fleet, Modine’s sophisticated thermal management system is essential for maintaining our transit program's smooth operation, reliability, and efficiency."
The 13 buses were paid for through $12.9 million in funding the city recently received from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission Vehicle Program and the Volkswagen Transit Capital Assistance Grant Program.
The city received $6.1 million from the Volkswagen Transit Capital Assistance Grant Program and $3.1 million from the FTA's Low or No Emission Vehicle Program for its current fleet of nine EV buses, related charging infrastructure, and workforce development related to EV bus technology.
In 2022, the city was also awarded $3.7 million from the FTA's Low or No Emission Vehicle Program to buy the four additional all-electric buses.
To meet the Buy America standard outlined in the funding guidelines, RYDE Racine selected all-electric buses using Modine's EVantage thermal management system to ensure the buses feature "American-made components and systems" from a hometown supplier, according to a Wednesday announcement.
"Integrating our thermal management technology into the RYDE Racine electric buses marks a brilliant collaboration to achieve our shared goal of reducing transportation emissions and supporting our community," said
Terry Petersen, market development manager at Modine. "By partnering with RYDE Racine, we are proud to contribute to the sustainability efforts and innovation happening right in our backyard."
