Whether your concern is operating costs, noise, pollution, national energy security or greenhouse gas emissions, the Proterra EcoRide™ BE35 should be your first stop.  With industry-leading efficiency and zero-emission, quiet operation the advantages keep piling up.

By the numbers:

$430,000 in Fuel Savings

Published results from Proterra’s visit to the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center show that the EcoRide™ BE35 achieves between 17.5 and 29 miles per gallon (diesel equivalent range), on average up to 600% better than competing solutions. View the report here.  Assuming $3.00 per gallon diesel gasoline, the average U.S. electricity rate of approximately 12 cents per kilowatt hour, an average distance traveled of 40,000 miles per year and assuming approximately 20 miles per gallon from our battery electric bus (or about 2 kW per mile), a transit agency should expect to save nearly $300,000 over the 12-year life of our bus versus conventional diesel and not much less when compared to the most advanced diesel hybrid.  If history is any guide, taking into account the 150% increase in diesel prices in the last 12 years and the 38% increase during the same period in more stable electricity prices and projecting forward, transit agencies should expect to save more than $430,000.  Oh, did we forget to tell you? A conventional diesel gets 3.86 miles per gallon on average (with a biodiesel bus about the same) and a hybrid version achieves approximately 4.5 miles per gallon. View the report here.

$75,000 – $150,000 in Maintenance Savings

Here is how we look at it:

• Composite Body – This is not the first heavy-duty vehicle to use a composite body and so the data here is clear.  Composite body repairs are 80% less expensive than those of a steel body bus.  Additionally, this vehicle lasts longer and is crash resistant.
• Engine Overhauls and Brake Repairs – What engine?  The heavy-duty motor of the EcoRide™ BE35 has fewer moving parts, requires no constant oil changes and should be robust enough to last the vehicle for life.  As for the brakes, with more than 90% regeneration of energy from braking, the battery brake systems should last longer with less frequent repairs and replacements.

$$ Priceless Benefits

How much is it worth to your residents and ridership to live in cleaner, quieter communities with the EcoRide™ BE35?  Will more passengers come aboard because of the improved experience?  Will suburban neighborhoods be more open to transit routes when they have no fear of exhaust emissions and noise?  Will people impacted by respiratory illnesses in urban areas literally breathe easier?  We believe the answer to all of these is a resounding “YES.”  

Just as important, whether a transit agency, federal agency or municipality is subject to laws or directives relating to pollution, noise or greenhouse gas emissions, or if even if the reason is to improve national security by purchasing vehicles powered by domestic sources of energy, the EcoRide™ BE-35 is your solution.  For more information see Proterra in Action.

Show Me the Data!

With the deployment of our buses at Foothill Transit, Proterra will be able to substantiate the cost savings and community benefits from operating on the challenging route that Foothill has chosen to operate its fleet of EcoRide™ buses.  Proterra will be using smart-bus technology to track vehicle performance and will monitor and evaluate repair and maintenance experience.  As we increase the number of vehicles deployed, we will continue to look at the community benefit side of the equation.  We will tell you how we are doing.  Please check back, we’ll keep you up to date. 

Coming Attractions

Calculating Your Expected Savings

In the very near future we plan to post to this page a robust calculator that will allow you to generate your own cost savings based on routes chosen, miles traveled, local fuel costs, types of vehicles being replaced and a look into the carbon emission reductions achieved.  We are working diligently on this calculator, please check back!