All–electric transit
has arrived Six transit agencies debut the Proterra EcoRide BE35 in-service this fall By David Hubbard
The all-electric 35-foot Proterra EcoRide™ BE35 transit bus expands its public service this year. Garrett Mikita, president and CEO of Proterra, Greenville, SC, says he could not be more delighted for the six transit authorities nationwide realizing the simplicity of electric propulsion. He notes that the buses going to the agencies are production units and not hand-built prototypes. The model is the first of its kind to pass through the arduous shakedown by the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center in Pennsylvania, the decisive test for transit buses. “The technology is proven; our company is performing and winning orders as a result,” he says. “Passengers enjoy a smooth noise-free ride on zero emission transit.” He says that while the Proterra electric bus has a price premium over diesel or natural gas vehicles, the total cost of ownership has a payback in some cases as fast as three years. “While the EcoRide™ is environmentally friendly and quiet, there is no escaping the economic benefit,” says Mikita. “It is always a key factor in the adoption of this technology.” Last year, Proterra produced eight buses and will manufacture another 40 this year. Mikita says Proterra is producing the the goal for 2014 is 100 units. automated fast-charging Proterra says the proprietary charging stations station for San Joaquin RTD’s Downtown Transit also differentiate the company from other bus Center as a matching manufacturers. The transformer behind the scene commitment to a CEC grant. has undergone a significant evolution, now half as big as its original size. It is soon to become smaller yet. “The founders of Proterra have created a highly reliable vehicle with quick-charge battery energy propulsion system as a superior alternative to fossil fuels,” he says. “However, the true change agents are the transit authority leaders who are operating this technology today and providing their ridership the opportunity to experience this new technology.”
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BUSRIDE | AU G US T. 2013
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