Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Garrett E. Mikita recently served as the president of the Defense & Space strategic business unit of Honeywell Aerospace, where he led the $5.3 billion organization.

Event guests took test rides on the EcoRide EV bus. Altair Nanotechnologies Inc., a lithium-titanate battery systems manufacturer, hosted the event.

The deployment of buses in Stockton was made possible by the California Energy Commission’s grant of $2.57 million under Assembly Bill 118 administered by CALSTART.

Called the Arc, the service was made possible by a $5,000,000 TIGGER grant . The agency bought three electric-powered buses built by Proterra to run the service.

Under terms of the deal, purchasers can finance up to 100% of the cost of each bus, allowing them to spread their payments over time and provide for a capital cushion in an uncertain economic environment.

Closed a $23 million Series B financing round amid rising demand for its transit solutions. Has tripled orders under contract for the company’s flagship EcoRide from public transit agencies in the past twelve months alone and is planning for its current growth path to continue.

The EcoRide BE35 battery-electric bus becomes the first heavy-duty electric transit bus to pass the FTA's testing. Additionally, the vehicle is found to have an average fuel economy of 22 mpg and the lowest noise of any bus ever tested, officials said.

The Worcester Regional Transit Authority estimates that replacing these three buses will eliminate 53 tons of harmful emissions and reduce petroleum consumption by more than 23,000 gallons per year, while reducing operating costs by more nearly $500,000.

The City of Seneca recently signed an agreement with Proterra, the leading provider in zero-emission commercial transit solutions, to deliver four new EcoRide transit buses and two charging stations.

The contract follows Seneca’s initial announcement in November 2011 of its intention to use funds from a $4.1 million FTA TIGGER ( grant, along with local matching funds, to purchase Proterra buses.