The City of Pasadena Reports Significant Progress on its Zero Emission Transition

PASADENA, Calif. - The City of Pasadena Department of Transportation (DOT) received council authorization on Monday, August 25, 2025, to purchase 17 fuel cell electric buses, fueled with hydrogen, for the Pasadena Transit fleet. These new electric buses are expected to go into service in spring 2027. This marks the first zero-emission multivehicle public transit order for the City, which, when delivered, will transition 46% of the Pasadena Transit fleet to zero-emission.

Significant progress has been made in advancing a zero-emission fleet for the City's Pasadena Transit and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride public transit fleet. In January 2023, Pasadena City Council adopted the Zero Emission Bus Rollout Plan, which outlines the City's transition to zero-emission technology. While the Pasadena Transit fleet already runs on low emission renewable natural gas, the City is not stopping there.

DOT launched its first battery-electric bus for Pasadena Transit into active service in May 2025, marking the beginning of a fully zero-emission bus future. Later this year, the first Pasadena Dial-A-Ride zero emission bus will be delivered.

To finance this transition, DOT has secured over $100 million in grant funding toward zero-emission infrastructure and vehicles, at a total project cost of $150.7 million. The overall project includes vehicle purchases, the construction of a new Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility and a Hydrogen Fueling Facility, to support both the needs of the new technology and the growing fleet.

"I'm proud of our Pasadena staff who have worked tirelessly over the last two years to secure the funding for Pasadena's zero emission vehicle transition. To have almost 50% of our fleet transitioned to zero emission by 2028 is a huge accomplishment, especially for an agency of our size," says Pasadena DOT director Joaquin Siques.

More information about the transition can be found at bit.ly/PasadenaZEB.