Staff Report
Published Oct. 1, 2012
Greenville-based Proterra’s EcoRide BE35 battery-electric bus is now the first heavy-duty electric transit bus to pass the Federal Transit Administration’s Altoona bus testing, the company said in a news release.
Proterra manufactures zero-emission, battery-electric commercial buses.
The Federal Transit Administration’s testing provides unbiased bus model comparisons and simulates 12 years of vehicle life to ensure reliability.
The tests showed that the EcoRide BE35 has both the highest fuel economy, at 22 miles per gallon average, and lowest noise of any full-size passenger bus tested, according to a news release.
“Coming on the heels of greater overall consumer demand for more sustainable passenger car options, the fact that a full-size electric bus has passed Altoona testing can be a true game-changer for American commuting and transportation by providing a ‘greener’ option for the masses,” Proterra CEO David Bennett said in a news release.
The company’s buses have been or soon will be in operation in the following cities: Austin, Texas; Burbank, Calif.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Pomona, Calif.; San Antonio; Tallahassee, Fla.; Stockton, Calif.; Seneca and Columbia.
