King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer participated Thursday in a ceremony announcing King County’s purchase of up to 73 all-electric battery buses from Proterra.

“This fleet of electric battery buses is an important step forward in achieving sustainable and clean transportation to protect our environment,” von Reichbauer said. “In the future, these buses will also serve the South King County region, including Auburn and Federal Way.”

The 40-foot buses have an estimated range of about 25 miles, with a quick charging time of just 10 minutes. Maintenance costs of all-electric battery buses are expected to decline versus hybrid-diesels, primarily because they have fewer moving parts. Eight of the buses are slated to go into service this year; 12 more in 2019.