Proterra’s EcoRide BE35 buses, known as the Ecoliner features electric components, including an electric drive motor supplied by UQM that is claimed to provide greater acceleration than that of a conventional bus.
Proterra’s buses, which take less than 10 minutes to recharge on route to provide up to three hours of operation, is claimed to deliver a 400% improvement in fuel economy, making them suitable for use by transit agencies.
Foothill Transit has deployed Proterra buses to meet its goal of establishing a full fleet of clean-fueled vehicles by 2011 to address the Zero Emission Bus regulation, which requires California agencies to purchase 15% of their annual bus orders as zero emission buses starting in 2012.
Proterra president and CEO Jeffery Granato said that the first commercial deployment of Proterra’s battery-electric buses by a major transit agency like Foothill Transit is a significant milestone for Proterra and a bold step by the nation in their collective effort to decrease dependence on fossil fuel.
“We look forward to additional communities throughout the US and globally benefitting from the highly efficient, cost effective, clean alternative transit solution now available with the introduction of the EcoRide BE35,” Granato said.
