With 73-bus sale to King County, Proterra says electric buses are now mainstream
; Date: Jan 19, 2017
Tags: Proterra »»»» Electric Buses
King County Metro, in the Seattle area, has announced they will purchase 73 Proterra electric buses. For its part, Proterra claims this is "the moment when batter-electric buses crossed over to mainstream acceptance." The advantage an electric bus brings is fuel cost reduction. The cost for electricity-as-a-fuel is lower than the cost of diesel-as-a-fuel in equivalent vehicles. The more the vehicle is driven, the greater the gain from fuel cost savings, and since city buses obviously drive a lot there's a big opportunity to save on costs. See
Cost per mile of Electric Vehicle Range
LARGEST EV BUS ORDER IN NORTH AMERICA: BATTERY-ELECTRIC TRANSIT IS NOW MAINSTREAM
Last week, King County Metro announced that they will purchase 73 Proterra battery-electric buses for metro Seattle and adjoining communities. As part of King County Executive Dow Constantine’s Green-Fleet Initiative, the announcement was made at an event where the transit agency outlined its carbon-neutral plan to launch a record-setting electric transit fleet by 2020.
King County Metro has long been an innovator in clean vehicle technology. Now, they are dramatically expanding their zero-emission electric bus fleet and working with the industry to innovate and offer next generation vehicles that move people quietly and cleanly while helping meet their climate goals.
With transportation representing nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the King County region, Metro aims to influence the development and expansion of all-electric buses, by committing to replace its current fleet with zero-emission vehicles. The County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan calls for both increased transit service and a cleaner fleet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Proterra’s Catalyst® technology will help Metro achieve these goals.
This latest order from King County Metro will be viewed as the moment when battery-electric buses crossed over to mainstream acceptance. We applaud Metro for their leadership and look forward to supporting them on the road ahead. Learn more about how this event will transform the industry in our
latest blog post.
PROTERRA SECURES LARGEST ELECTRIC BUS ORDER IN NORTH AMERICA WITH KING COUNTY METRO
January 18th, 2017 $60 million deal to bring high performance, battery-electric buses to Washington State
BURLINGAME, Calif., January 18, 2017 – Proterra, the leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, today announced an additional order from King County Metro that will include up to 73 battery-electric buses for metro Seattle and adjoining communities. As part of Executive Dow Constantine’s Green-Fleet Initiative, King County Metro on January 10 announced the new deployment at an event in which the transit agency outlined its carbon-neutral plan to launch a record-setting electric transit fleet by 2020.
King County has long been an innovator in clean vehicle technology,” said Executive Constantine in a statement released by King County. “Now, we’re dramatically expanding our zero-emission electric bus fleet and working with the industry to innovate and offer next generation vehicles that move people quietly and cleanly while helping meet our climate goals.”
With transportation representing nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the King County region, Metro aims to influence the development and expansion of all-electric buses, by committing to replace its current fleet with zero-emission vehicles. The County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan calls for both increased transit service and a cleaner fleet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Proterra’s new Catalyst® technology will help Metro achieve these goals.
“To better serve our customers, we want battery buses that travel longer distances and can carry more people,” said King County Metro Transit General Manager Rob Gannon. “We’re committed to expanding our battery-electric bus fleet with standardized battery bus charging systems and high-performing vehicles.”
King County Metro will purchase up to 73 battery-electric buses from Proterra at a cost of up to $55 million, starting with 20 buses totaling $15.1 million. Charging stations to support the initial orders of those buses will range from $5.5 million to $6.6 million.
“King County Metro’s decision to purchase up to 73 Proterra® battery-electric buses not only represents a significant milestone for mass transit in the U.S., but also a resounding victory for the clean transportation industry as a whole. Already a model for the new generation of sustainability-minded transit agencies, King County Metro continues to demonstrate its commitment to exceptional service, environmental action, and technological innovation,” said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. “We look forward to supporting them as they deploy our industry-leading Catalyst buses across their expanding ridership base.”
About Proterra:
Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission vehicles that enable bus fleet operators to eliminate the dependency on fossil fuels and to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to the community. Proterra has sold more than 375 vehicles to 36 different municipal, university, and commercial transit agencies in 20 states across the USA. Proterra’s configurable EV platform, battery and charging options make its buses well suited for a wide range of transit and campus routes. With unmatched durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. certification testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America, with offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit:
http://www.proterra.com and follow us on Twitter @Proterra_Inc.
Source:
Proterra Inc.
Source:
Proterra Inc.
