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Proterra, Inc., developer of zero-emission commercial transit solutions, recently announced the first major deployment of its EcoRide BE35 zero-emission, fast-charge battery-electric transit buses by Foothill Transit, a public transport provider that operates bus services in Southern San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, located in the eastern portion of Los Angeles County. Foothill Transit launched the Proterra EcoRide BE35 buses and related fast charging stations into its existing bus fleet and transit routes with the goal of establishing a full fleet of clean-fueled vehicles by 2011.
Proterra Bus
The deployment of Proterra"s EcoRide BE35 buses, provides a real-world example of the advantages and disadvantages of these zero emission buses and charging solutions. In addition, Proterra"s clean transit solutions offers California transit agencies solutions to address the Zero Emission Bus (Zbus) regulation, which requires large California agencies to purchase 15 percent of their annual bus orders as zero emission buses starting in 2012.
Proterra"s EcoRide BE35 significantly reduces air and noise pollution for riders and local communities, and the vehicle operation costs for transit agencies, according to the manufacturer. The EcoRide BE35 contains all electric components, including an electric drive motor supplied by UQM that allows greater acceleration than that of a conventional bus, combined with technological solutions that allow for a quiet and smooth uninterrupted ride. With up to three hours of operation and the ability to recharge in less than 10 minutes on route, Proterra claims that its buses can easily be incorporated into any transit agencies" existing routes without impacting their schedules or routes while delivering a quieter, more comfortable experience to riders. Additionally, without the maintenance or fuel costs associated with conventional buses, the BE35 achieves a 400 percent improvement in fuel economy, and considerable savings in total lifetime operating expenses, says Proterra.