Their 20th GILLIG Battery Electric Bus hits the road, with 14 more on the way.
The Big Blue Bus Team with their 20th Electric Bus
When Big Blue Bus first added a GILLIG Battery Electric Bus to their fleet in 2019, they weren’t just pioneers in adopting a new technology — they were leading the charge, stepping into a bold vision for a zero-emissions future.
Today, that vision is accelerating.
Big Blue Bus recently placed their 20th GILLIG Battery Electric Bus into service — the first of their third order of BEBs from GILLIG. Fourteen more will arrive this summer as the agency moves closer to its goal of a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2030.
Each new 35-foot bus is powered by 588 kWh of onboard energy storage and features an updated roofline design proudly displaying the agency’s mission: Zero–Emissions for People, Place & Planet.
These buses build on Big Blue Bus’s early leadership in clean transit, expanding zero-emission service with the same clean, quiet performance their riders have come to expect from the fleet’s Battery Electric buses.
As a GILLIG partner since 2012, Big Blue Bus has continuously demonstrated what’s possible when performance, sustainability, and public service go hand in hand.
Their commitment to zero-emission transit goes beyond headlines or hype — it’s real dedication to their mission, backed by years of planning, infrastructure development, and attention to quality at every step.
Behind every bus is a partnership, and GILLIG is equally dedicated to our partners and to our mission of providing the highest quality, safest, most reliable transit buses in America.
“The City of Santa Monica and Big Blue Bus are thrilled to be putting into service our newest GILLIG Battery Electric Bus.
It’s the 20th in our fleet, the first of 15 that we’ll receive this summer,” said Anuj Gupta, Director, Department of Transportation.
“These additions mean that Big Blue Bus is continuing to lead the way on powering transportation to a sustainable zero-emissions future.
It means our community and our riders will experience a cleaner, more sustainable, smoother, more comfortable ride and will be part of healing our planet—advancing our mission for a healthier people, place, and planet.
As we celebrate this new bus, we want to thank our partners at GILLIG. The GILLIG team worked closely with our maintenance team to ensure all 15 of our new buses met our standards, were built correctly, were quality controlled, and tested rigorously to guarantee they are ready for service and can perform at the extremely high standards we have at Big Blue Bus.”
At GILLIG, we’re proud to design, build, and support buses that help agencies like Big Blue Bus meet the moment—and shape the future. Congratulations to the team in Santa Monica on this important milestone. We look forward to every mile ahead.