Proterra Produces First Commercial EV Battery at New S.C. Factory

Proterra Inc. produced its first Proterra Powered EV battery at its new Powered 1 battery manufacturing plant located in Greer, S.C.

By achieving this end-to-end production milestone at Powered 1, the company is expected to begin deliveries to customers of Proterra Powered™ battery systems from the new battery factory in the first quarter of 2023. In addition, Powered 1 has started production of drivetrains and other ancillary systems incorporated into electric medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles and equipment, such as high-voltage junction boxes.

“Today marks an important step forward in our company’s journey towards shaping an all-electric, emissions-free future. Achieving this important milestone at Powered 1 a little over a year after announcing our plans for the factory is a reflection on the talent, innovation, and collaboration of our incredible team at Proterra,” said Proterra CEO Gareth Joyce. “At full scale, we believe Powered 1 will be the largest battery manufacturing facility in the United States dedicated exclusively to electric commercial vehicles and we’re poised to meet the incredible opportunities that lie ahead for zero-emission transportation.”

Powered 1 is Proterra’s first purpose-built, high-volume battery production plant in the Eastern U.S., with multiple gigawatt hours of annual production capacity planned at the facility. Proterra has already created more than 100 new jobs at the 327,000-square-foot battery plant, with roles including engineering, production, quality, and other positions within the company’s Proterra Powered & Energy business unit.

By opening the company’s first battery factory in South Carolina, Proterra is bringing state-of-the-art battery production closer to its Proterra Powered customers on the East Coast, Europe, and its own Proterra Transit electric bus manufacturing operations in Greenville, S.C.