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Rock Hill Unveils All-Electric Bus Fleet

Rock Hill's free My Ride bus fleet boasts zero emissions. My Ride is funded mainly through the a combination of FTA funds, a local match from the city's general fund, and partners.
Scott Morgan/SC Public Radio
Rock Hill's free My Ride bus fleet boasts zero emissions. My Ride is funded mainly through the a combination of FTA funds, a local match from the city's general fund, and partners.

When Rock Hill set out to launch its first full-scale bus system, it wanted to try something different. Well, all the rides on the MyRidesystem will be free and all seven buses in the fleet will be 100 percent electric. The really different part, though, is that no one’s ever started out this way before.

Ryan Popple, president and CEO of ProTerra -- the company that manufactured Rock Hill's fleet at its Greenville plant -- told a crowd at Rock Hill's Fountain Park Thursday: "You're a real leader in terms of what you're doing in North America. This is the first transit system that started with electric vehicle technology."

The first route of four overall launches Monday, June 10, in the downtown and Knowledge Park areas. The other three routes are set to launch on July 1.

The routes service mainly poorer areas of town. Mayor John Gettys says MyRide is meant to be an economic development boost in the fast-growing city.