Electric bus maker Proterra, announced that it has been selected by the Virginia Department of General Services as a vendor to supply zero-emission battery-electric buses and charging stations for its Statewide Contract. In 2018, transit buses in the state of Virginia provided more than 74.5 million trips to riders throughout the Commonwealth.
Proterra, along with other manufacturers, underwent a testing and review process by the state of Virginia and was chosen among a pool of providers to help streamline local transit agencies’ access to the vendor and vehicle that best meet their specific transit system needs. As a result, transit agencies, universities and institutions can now purchase Proterra® battery-electric buses and charging systems through the state’s pre-established contract. Transit agencies in other states can also leverage the Virginia state contract to simplify the process of purchasing electric buses.
Proterra battery-electric buses bring both economic and environmental benefits to transit agencies and the communities they serve. Each time a Proterra electric bus replaces a diesel bus, around 230,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions are avoided per year. Further, battery-electric bus technology continues to advance, with the Proterra Catalyst vehicle now capable of delivering nearly twice the horsepower and five times the efficiency of a standard diesel engine. Proterra electric buses feature industry-leading bus design, including a lightweight composite body, energy dense battery systems, highly efficient electric drivetrain technology, and a connected vehicle intelligence system. The Proterra Catalyst® electric vehicle platform can be customized to meet the demands of a wide range of transit routes to bring clean, quiet transportation to Virginians.
Additionally, Proterra now offers Proterra Energy™ fleet solutions, which helps customers transition to an all-electric fleet by offering a full suite of products and services that enable turn-key delivery of a complete energy ecosystem. Proterra can design, build, deploy and maintain electric buses, batteries, chargers and charging infrastructure for customers to enable a streamlined transition to an electric fleet with a single point of contact. Through the Virginia Statewide Contract, transit agencies can also utilize Proterra’s battery-leasing program, which reduces the upfront cost of electric buses to be competitively priced against diesel. With this battery leasing program, Proterra will guarantee the performance of the batteries through the life of the bus, decreasing operator risk.
“Thanks to efforts from the state of Virginia, we can be on a quicker path to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, remove harmful pollution from our air, and leverage more energy efficient technology to power our transportation systems.” said Proterra CEO Ryan Popple. “Proterra has helped more than 90 North American transit agencies, airports and universities transition to zero-emission electric buses, and we look forward to helping more transit agencies in Virginia transition to electric vehicle technology.”
