Proterra’s Catalyst E2 Max electric bus was driven for more than 1773 kilometres, setting a new world record for distance travelled in an electric vehicle on a single charge in the United States this week
Proterra’s chief commercial officer Matt Horton says the record is a testament to Proterra’s purpose-built electric bus design.
Lithium-ion battery prices have dropped significantly since 2010, and the economics of these batteries continues to improve.
Proterra CEO Ryan Popple is convinced that the business case for heavy-duty electric buses is superior to all other applications, and that the transit market will be the first to transition completely to battery-electric powered vehicles.
“Early electric bus adopters have paved the way for future heavy-duty applications, like motor coaches and commercial trucks,” he says.
“As we see more companies enter the heavy-duty electric vehicle market, it has become very apparent that the future is all-electric, and the sun is setting on combustion engine technology.”
With more than 400 vehicles sold to 42 different operators in 20 of the United States, Proterra seems to be on to something.
Proterra buses are designed, engineered and manufactured in America, and the organisation has offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina, and Los Angeles.