Proterra Electric Buses Hit 2 Million Service Miles Mark

Proterra’s electric buses have passed the 2 million service miles mark in the US, according to an email sent to EV Obsession.

The company’s electric bus milestone was achieved thanks to the 63 Proterra buses currently in operation in the US — in the states of California, Nevada, Texas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Washington.

To date, Proterra buses have saved transit agencies in North America more than 420,000 gallons in fuel, and displaced over 7.6 million pounds of CO2 emissions.

“This latest milestone exemplifies the economic, environmental and civic value of electric mass transit and demonstrates to the transit agencies that diesel — often viewed as a necessary evil — is no longer necessary,” stated Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. “By democratizing electric mobility through zero-emission mass transportation, we are providing both our customers and their passengers alike the best transit technology on the road today.”

The company will reportedly be ramping up production this year, as market growth is expected to be good for the foreseeable future.

A new press release provides more on that (link added):

This year, Proterra will nearly double its production capacity as an increasing number of transit agencies see zero-emission buses as a credible and proven alternative to diesel, CNG and hybrid buses. With 30% fewer parts than alternative technologies, the Proterra Catalyst dramatically reduces maintenance and operating costs and is more cost-effective over the 12-year life of each bus, saving customers around $450,000 over the vehicle’s lifetime. The Proterra Catalyst is also the most efficient 40′ transit vehicle, with the longest range per kWh of energy storage and the lowest fuel cost per mile, at 22 MPGe and 1.7 kWh/mile.

Current Proterra customers — such as Clemson Area Transit (CATBUS) in Seneca, South Carolina — seem quite happy with their buses, validating what’s said above. The executive director at CATBUS, Al Babinicz, commented: “We’re proud of the precedent we set early on and are pleased to see our transit agency peers begin to adopt transit solutions like Proterra’s that address the economic and environmental hurdles we’re facing as a nation.”

The Executive Director at Foothill Transit in Pomona, California — Doran Barnes — commented as well: “For the last five years, we’ve been operating Proterra zero-emission buses and are excited to expand our electric fleet with 13 new Catalyst vehicles coming into service. With the latest round of Catalyst buses, nearly 10% of our fleet will be all-electric, a fact we’re extremely proud of.”