GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- The city of Green Bay unveiled its first battery electric bus ahead of the NFL Draft.

The new bus will be used on the popular downtown to Titletown route during Green Bay's largest event this week.

"This is something that has been in the works with us for quite sometime," said Patricia Kiewiz, transit director for Green Bay Metro. "The city of Green Bay had kicked off their clean energy plan a few years ago, and Green Bay Metro, of course, was part of that... We have some great staff that have put a lot of work into rolling this out today."

Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich added, "This was a big milestone that was included in some of the recommendations from that [clean energy] plan, to explore how we could electrify our bus system here within Green Bay, so it's a great day for us to be able to celebrate this milestone."

Kiewiz said this bus -- and the five additional buses that will be added to the fleet in the coming years -- will not only have a positive impact on riders and the environment, but the Green Bay community in general.

"We are really excited to see some savings down the road and provide some great opportunity for the community -- cleaner energy, reduced noises, hopefully. We all know buses aren't the quietest, but we're hoping that with all the stuff that we put into play and the new technologies that we role out as a city, will help the community be better overall," Kiewiz said.

Manufactured by U.S. company Gillig, this zero-emission bus marks a significant milestone in Green Bay’s commitment to sustainable transportation.

This first battery electric bus is part of a phased transition, with plans to acquire three additional buses in 2026 and two more in 2027, supported by state and federal grants.

Each electric bus costs approximately $1.2 million. The transition is expected to lower long-term operating costs and reduce environmental impacts.

Funding for the bus was secured through federal grants, including the Surface Transportation Block Grant, as part of the city’s broader “Clean Energy Green Bay Plan” which aims for 100% renewable energy and community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050.

https://fox11online.com/news/local/2025-nfl-draft/green-bay-introduces-first-battery-electric-bus-ahead-of-nfl-draft-titletown-downtown-route-clean-sustainable-energy-transportation-carbon-neutrality-metro-transit