Proterra Moves Shop, Converts More Buses and Lands on Leno’s Website

October 27, 2011

Written by Michelle Fisher

School Transportation News | 27 October 2011

The company said that shifting all management and research operations to their battery-electric bus manufacturing facility could help increase its production capacity. The move has brought more advanced research and manufacturing jobs to the Upstate of South Carolina as well.

“As we continue to evaluate our efficiency and scale operations, we saw value in consolidation – bringing all operational components of our company under one roof,” said CEO David Bennett.

Earlier this year, Proterra partnered with Napa Valley (Calif.) Unified School District to convert an older CNG school bus into an all-electric drive system. If the initial conversion goes as planned, Napa’s transportation director, Ralph Knight, said another CNG bus would also be converted. Districts in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Florida are also testing the electric school buses.

Meanwhile, the Proterra EcoRide fast-charge, battery-electric bus was featured on comedian Jay Leno’s Garage website on Oct. 10. The host of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" visited with George Karbowski at Foothill Transit in Pomona, Calif., where Proterra’s buses have been in service since last year.

“To have the EcoRide bus featured by Jay on his website is a testament to the revolutionary nature of the bus for the public transit industry,” Bennett said.

The EcoRide fast recharge battery can deliver the diesel equivalent of 17 to 21 miles per gallon — about a 500-percent improvement over conventional buses, according to the company. Proterra designs and manufactures heavy-duty electric drive systems, energy storage systems, vehicle control systems, transit buses and fast-charging stations.