Staff Report
Published June 14, 2012

Greenville-based Proterra will provide two battery-electric transit buses to the San Joaquin Regional Transit District.

The California Energy Commission awarded a $2.56 million grant to fund an electric bus demonstration project valued at more than $4 million.

The project is a partnership between Proterra, a manufacturer of zero-emission commercial transit buses, and the San Joaquin Regional Transit District.

The project will enable Proterra to implement two EcoRide BE35 battery-electric buses into this California transit district, as well as install a fast charging station for the district’s downtown transit center.

The buses and charging station will be delivered next spring.

This is an effort to reduce energy consumption, waste and pollution in California’s Central Valley, according to a news release.

“We are very impressed with Proterra’s innovations, and we are proud to be a part of efforts to provide environmentally-friendly and sustainable transportation delivery options,” said RTD General Manager and CEO Donna DeMartino.

In 2010, Proterra worked with a Federal Transit Authority demonstration project, enabling the Foothill Transit in Pomona, Calif. to use three of its EcoRide buses. Foothill Transit continues to operate select services with its Proterra fleet.

Other cities anticipated to roll out Proterra buses in the next six months include San Antonio and Tallahassee, Fla.

Proterra’s 35-foot EcoRide bus is designed for an 18-year life span. It takes 10 minutes to charge at its 500-kilowatt electric bus charging system for two-to-four hours of repeated route capabilities, translating to 30 to 50 miles.

“Proterra congratulates the San Joaquin Regional Transit District on its forward-thinking approach to environmentally-friendly mass transit solutions,” said Proterra CEO David Bennett.

The San Joaquin Regional Transit District, the regional transit provider for San Joaquin County, Calif., provides public transit services in the Stockton metropolitan area, as well as intercity, interregional and rural transit services countywide.

Proterra designs and manufactures heavy-duty electric drive systems, energy storage systems, vehicle control systems, transit buses and fast-charging stations.