Proterra announced that SporTran has deployed Louisiana’s first fleet of zero-emission, battery-electric buses in Shreveport.

Five Proterra 40-inch Catalyst E2 buses will begin serving Louisiana’s third-largest city this month. Shreveport is the first city in the state to purchase battery-electric buses.

Proterra’s 40-inch Catalyst E2 series gets 22 mpge and sports a lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced composite bus body to maximize vehicle life, while minimizing repairs and maintenance. The buses will utilize Combined Charge Standard plug-in DC Fast Chargers, enabling multiple types and brands of EV cars, trucks, and buses to share the same charging equipment.

In 2016, SporTran won the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Grant, which funded the five electric buses, three depot chargers, and an on-route fast charger. By replacing its diesel buses, SporTran estimates that the new Proterra Catalyst buses will save more than $2.2 million on maintenance and fuel over the lifetime of the five vehicles.