Gamaliel Anguiano remembers when Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) received its first electric bus in 2022.
“It’s amazing to see how much the technology has improved over the last three years,” the transit services manager told the Sun.
During the first week of November, SMRT was set to receive the last couple of vehicles it needed to have a fully electrified fleet. After SMRT does final inspections, installs some upgrades, and registers the EVs with the Department of Motor Vehicles, the buses will be on the road.
Based on federal database research, complete electrification is not a feat many other agencies have achieved, Anguiano explained.
“There is a high degree of confidence that we are perhaps only the second agency to do it,” Anguiano said. “It just feels good to make that accomplishment and put Santa Maria in a positive light that way.”
The fleet of 40 includes 20 full-size buses, six paratransit vans, and 14 small buses for the on-demand ride service. Utility staff like mechanics and road supervisors drive electric trucks, too.
Switching from gas-powered to zero-emission vehicles will save the agency around $400,000 per year, Anguiano said.
“Those are funds that, instead of going to diesel fuel, we can put back into our service in the form of more hours, more frequency, more routes,” Anguiano said. “This was a very prudent decision to save cost by getting off of diesel fuel and using electric fueling.”
The transition was made possible with funding from the state and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Anguiano also gave credit to the City Council’s support and “a great team here in Santa Maria.” The move complies with a state law that requires public transit agencies to transition to zero-emission fleets by 2040.
Even though SMRT has capacity to operate with all EVs, it’s still required to keep remaining diesel buses until they reach 12 years of operation or exceed 500,000 miles, according to FTA regulations. Around 15 diesel engines are still in SMRT’s fleet, Anguiano said, but as many as nine could reach retirement next year.
“In addition to retiring as many of these as possible, we actually will keep a small segment of them that are still in good quality, and we’ll keep them as backup vehicles,” Anguiano said.
However, it’s a “night and day difference” between a diesel and electric bus for both riders and non-riders, Anguiano said. Electric buses don’t produce air pollution or excessive noise, and the ride is smoother without the jerkiness from a traditional transmission.
Jonathan Ullman, the director of the Sierra Club’s Santa Barbara and Ventura chapter, agrees. When he took a ride on SMRT’s electric buses, Ullman said he was “very impressed” by the experience onboard.
“They’re just beautiful,” he said.
One of Ullman’s goals at the Sierra Club is to support efforts to electrify transportation powered by renewable energy. In his perspective, there are no downsides to electric buses, which provide the best ride for the customer.
“I think the people who take buses deserve to be on the best ride they can,” Ullman said.
Throughout the past 10 years, Ullman has seen a lot of progress in the EV industry. He thought Santa Maria was proactive about getting grants to fund its electrification.
“It’s quite an accomplishment,” Ullman said. “What Santa Maria has done is just amazing.”
The city of Santa Maria and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments are holding public input opportunities to track unmet transit needs. In December there will be live sessions in Buellton, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara. Spanish and Mixteco translations are available upon request. Those unable to attend can submit comments online until Dec. 15. Find more information at sbcag.org.
This article appears in Nov 6 – Nov 13, 2025.