Company News
Seneca “Goes Green” with Proterra Buses
November 22, 2011
Greenville | Nov. 22, 2011 – Proterra, the leading maker of zero-emission commercial transit solutions, was named by the City of Seneca as the intended manufacturer to build the city’s next generation of transit buses.
Last week, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $112 million in clean fuels and TIGGER (Transit Investments in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction)grants. The City of Seneca received one of 46 awardsand received a TIGGER grant from the FTA for approximately $4.1 million.
During a press conference this morning at City Hall, local and state officials shared their plans to use these funds, along with additional public and private funding, to replace Seneca’s current diesel buses with 35-foot, fast charge battery electric buses built locally by Proterra in Greenville, S.C.
In a letter to Seneca officials, Al Gore congratulated them on a choice that will have both a positive impact the environmental as well as U.S. job creation.
“Its exciting days in Seneca” said Mayor Dan Alexander, “the City of Seneca will be the first in the nation to be a totally Electric Bus System.” City Administrator Greg Diettrick added “The best is yet to come. Stay tuned for bigger events coming to our city.”
Clemson Area Transit (CATbus) general manager Al Babinicz shared “We hope eventually as the battery technology improves over time to eventually expand the all-electric concept to other areas like Clemson University, the city of Clemson and beyond.”
Foothill Transit in Pomona, Calif., is already operating EcoRide buses and VIA San Antonio Transit, as well as StarMetro in Tallahassee, Fla., have placed orders with Proterra. These orders are being built at the current assembly line plant in Greenville, S.C.
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For more information on Proterra and its technology, please visit: www.proterra.com.
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Megan E. Finnern
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