Electric bus sets distance record

BURLINGAME, Calif. – In what could be the future of motorcoaches, battery powered bus manufacturer Proterra has claimed a world record for driving one of its electric buses more than 1,100 miles on a single charge.

The private company, which is led and staffed by ex-Tesla employees, said the long-range test of a 40-foot Proterra Catalyst E2 transit bus at truckmaker Navistar’s proving grounds in New Carlisle, Ind., is the farthest any electric vehicle has ever traveled on a single charge.

The total distance of 1,101.2 miles was 83 percent farther than the 603 miles Proterra achieved in a long-range test a year ago.

“For our heavy-duty electric bus to break the previous world record of 1,013.76 miles — which was set by a light-duty passenger EV 46 times lighter than the Catalyst E2 max — is a major feat,” said Matt Horton, Proterra’s chief commercial officer.   Company officials said the Catalyst was poised to make a significant impact on the transit market because of its low operational cost per mile compared with conventional fossil fuel powered buses.

“The transit market will be the first to transition completely to battery-electric powered vehicles,” said Proterra CEO Ryan Popple.

“Early electric bus adopters … have paved the way for future heavy-duty applications, like motorcoaches and commercial trucks,” Popple said.

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