Proterra bus sets record for most miles traveled

A bus built by Proterra has set a record for the most miles traveled by a battery-electric bus in a day — traveling more than 700 miles in 24 hours. Additionally on this trip, the bus recorded an average fuel economy of nearly 27 miles per gallon — nearly six times that of a diesel bus and seven times that of CNG, according to company officials. The record was set as part of normal testing conducted on Proterra buses before they are delivered.

The bus used for this test is set to go into revenue service in the Southeastern U.S. within the next few months.

“This record offers definitive proof that all-electric Proterra buses combine all the durability and functionality of conventional buses, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership, fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions,” said Garrett Mikita, CEO, Proterra Inc. “We are even more proud of the fact that we demonstrated this performance using a regular production bus with the same features and performance we build into all our buses.”

The test was conducted in mid-April on a route designed to simulate both commuter and central business district routes and drive cycles.

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The bus, which ran at an average speed of 29 miles per hour with the HVAC system running, was charged periodically throughout the day, using Proterra’s proprietary fast-charging process. This technology allows a bus to fully charge in less time than it takes to charge a cell phone.

Proterra is the only EV bus manufacturer with buses currently in revenue service in the U.S. Its buses operate in San Antonio; Worcester, Mass.; Reno, Nev.; Stockton, Calif.; Pomona, Calif.; and Tallahassee, Fla.; with deliveries scheduled for Nashville, Tenn.; and Louisville, Ky., among others.

Based on the strong performance of its buses, Proterra has earned repeat orders from several agencies and played a key role in spurring the interest in and growth of EV transit throughout the country, according to the company.