February 23, 2009

Source: Fleets & Fuels - Volume 16, Number 5

Colorado’s Proterra (the former Mobile Energy Solutions) is showcasing a lightweight 35-foot bus with a battery dominant design it says allows operators to dispense with fuel engines altogether.

Proterra uses a UQM Technologies PowerPhase 150 drivetrain and lithium titanate batteries from Altairnano in the EcoRide BE35 vehicle.

400% Fuel Economy Gain

Battery-only range is stated at 25 to 40 miles, which translates to about two hours. Because the Altairnano batteries can be charged is just ten minutes, the vehicle can do a daily transit duty day, charging during drivers’ regular breaks, says Proterra business development manager Joshua Goldman.

The EcoRide BE35 bus, which recently completed a whistle-stop tour of four California cities, yields a fuel economy improvement of up to 400% compared to a conventional diesel bus, translating to upwards of $300,000 in total lifetime fuel expense savings per vehicle, Proterra says.

A hydrogen version of the Proterra bus, with a Hydrogenics fuel cell, and full plug-in charge capability, is to be unveiled in Burbank, Calif. late this spring.

"The significance of this milestone program is that we are able to harness the latest transportation technology and put it into service for the public good," Johnathan Frank, administrative analyst with the transportation department of the City of Burbank, says in a release. "Zero-emissions will help the environment, which is a critical issue in Southern California.We're excited to be the first program of its kind in the state."

The Burbank placement is backed by the California Air Resource Board, with support from the California Energy Commission and Federal Transit Administration.

Proterra emphasizes the flexibility of the batterydominate design, noting that its "TerraVolt" battery system can be fully charged in less than ten minutes, and is "the longest lasting energy storage system available for heavy duty applications."

Proterra claims software advantages to its "ProDrive" vehicle control allowing it to operate in battery-electric mode or with any small auxiliary power unit (engine or APU) to extend vehicle range.

"California is a high priority for Proterra since five of the top ten most polluted cities in America are located there," Proterra president and CEO Jeff Granato says in a release citing the American Lung Association’s State of the Air: 2008 report.

"The solution is in our hands to help cities reduce air and noise pollution, and the state and federal policies are also in place to begin to take clean commuting from a vision to a reality in 2009," Granato said. "We're excited to introduce the EcoRide BE35 to California as an immediate next step transit agencies can take to achieve emissions free transit."

"Working with the City of Burbank will give this new technology a wonderful boost," said business development director Joshua Goldman.

"This real-life demonstration within a thriving public transportation system will give us the learning tools to advance this emerging and much-needed alternative technology," he said.