The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has committed US$337.7 million to buy 200 battery-electric buses from El Dorado National–California (ENC), with options that could push the total to 1,800 vehicles.

The LA Metro Board approved the contract on 24 September. The base order covers 200 buses, with options for up to 1,600 additional units. Deliveries are due before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, and the order forms part of LA Metro's plan to convert its entire fleet to zero emissions by 2030.

LA Metro ranks as the second-largest transit agency in the United States and serves as the primary public transport operator for Los Angeles County.

The vehicle

The buses are ENC's AXESS EVO-BE model, which uses BAE Systems' Gen 3 electric drive system and can carry up to 738 kWh of battery storage. LA Metro estimates a range of 174 to 250 miles (280 to 402 kilometres) per vehicle, depending on configuration and operating conditions.

ENC offers the EVO-BE in 32-, 35-, and 40-foot configurations. In 2022 the manufacturer selected Proterra batteries for the model. ENC has also partnered with InductEV to offer wireless charging on its battery-electric buses, using an inductive system rated at up to 450 kW.

Where they will be built

ENC will build the order at its 227,000-sq-ft plant in Jurupa Valley, California. The company said the award "supports good manufacturing jobs at ENC, whose national supplier network includes companies employing hundreds of people in Los Angeles County and Southern California."

The supplier claim is a statement from the manufacturer rather than a verified employment figure; the actual job impact at Jurupa Valley will show up in production ramp data as deliveries approach.

Olympic context

The order extends a broader electrification push tied to the 2028 Games. Last year Los Angeles selected Highland Electric Fleets as the official provider of electric school buses for the Olympics, with 500 vehicles planned as stakeholder transport.

At the state level, California has committed $202 million across roughly 143 clean transport projects focused on public transit.

The deal also builds on ENC's existing relationship with LA Metro and coincides with the California-based manufacturer's expansion of its electric bus lineup.

What to watch next: whether LA Metro exercises the 1,600-bus options, the delivery schedule against the 2028 Games deadline, and progress toward the agency's 2030 full-fleet zero-emission target.