Proterra lands Virginia's statewide contract for electric buses
Transit agencies, universities, and institutions can now purchase the company's battery-electric buses and charging systems through the state’s pre-established contract.
Proterra electric buses feature an “industry-leading bus design,” including a lightweight composite body, energy dense battery systems, highly efficient electric drivetrain technology, and a connected vehicle intelligence system, according to the company.
Proterra
2 min to read
Proterra electric buses feature an “industry-leading bus design,” including a lightweight composite body, energy dense battery systems, highly efficient electric drivetrain technology, and a connected vehicle intelligence system, according to the company.
Proterra
Proterra was selected by the Virginia Department of General Services as a vendor to supply zero-emission battery-electric buses and charging stations for its Statewide Contract. In 2018, transit buses in the state of Virginia provided more than 74.5 million trips to riders throughout the Commonwealth.
Proterra, along with other manufacturers, underwent a testing and review process by the state of Virginia and was chosen among a pool of providers to help streamline local transit agencies’ access to the vendor and vehicle that best meet their specific transit system needs. As a result, transit agencies, universities, and institutions can now purchase Proterra® battery-electric buses and charging systems through the state’s pre-established contract. Transit agencies in other states can also leverage the Virginia state contract to simplify the process of purchasing electric buses.
Proterra electric buses feature an “industry-leading bus design,” including a lightweight composite body, energy dense battery systems, highly efficient electric drivetrain technology, and a connected vehicle intelligence system, according to the company. The Proterra Catalyst® electric vehicle platform can be customized to meet the demands of a wide range of transit routes to bring clean, quiet transportation to Virginians.
Additionally, Proterra now offers Proterra Energy™ fleet solutions, which helps customers transition to an all-electric fleet by offering a full suite of products and services that enable turnkey delivery of a complete energy ecosystem. Proterra can design, build, deploy, and maintain electric buses, batteries, chargers, and charging infrastructure for customers to enable a streamlined transition to an electric fleet with a single point of contact. Through the Virginia Statewide Contract, transit agencies can also utilize Proterra’s battery-leasing program, which reduces the upfront cost of electric buses to be competitively priced against diesel. With this battery leasing program, Proterra will guarantee the performance of the batteries through the life of the bus, decreasing operator risk.
In Part 2 of a two-part conversation, AC Transit’s director of maintenance joins co-hosts Alex Roman and Mark Hollenbeck to discuss his maintenance team’s work with various types of vehicle, training, augmented reality, and more.
Coalition leaders outline priorities for preserving bus funding, maintaining competitive grants, and ensuring flexibility for transit agencies nationwide.
Two battery-electric buses entered service on Earth Day, with four additional vehicles expected to join the fleet this summer. Seven more buses are planned for the end of 2027, bringing Metro’s total zero-emission fleet to 13.
A 5% rise in deliveries and a surge in zero-emission buses signaled progress in 2025, but high costs, long lead times, and shifting funding priorities continue to cloud the outlook.
In Part 1, Blandon shares his journey from the U.S. Marines to a leadership role in public transit, along with insights on mentorship and professional growth within the industry.
Sustainability Partners’ Arnold Albiar discusses how a service-based approach is helping airports and public agencies deploy and manage electric fleets more efficiently.
In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.