Energy Efficient Choices

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) -- Proterra, the leading innovator and manufacturer of clean commercial transit solutions from city transit buses to class 4-8 trucks, kicked-off its first ever California Clean Bus Tour in San Jose with the unveiling of its zero emission fast-charge battery electric bus. The EcoRide BE35 is designed to help communities significantly reduce air and noise pollution while cutting down vehicle operating costs.

After the initial launch in San Jose, Proterra will make stops in selected California cities including Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco. In each city, Proterra will meet with energy, environmental, and municipal stakeholders and introduce its clean transit solutions that help meet the state's emission reduction standards. The EcoRide BE35 results in up to a 400 percent improvement in fuel economy, and up to $310,000 savings in total lifetime fuel expenses as compared to a conventional diesel bus and over $15 million in savings for a bus fleet of 50.

"The fact is, emissions free transit is not a 'nice to have,' it is a must have for clean, healthy communities across California and the U.S.," said Dale Hill, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Proterra. "That is why we're thrilled to bring our clean transit solutions to California - where municipal agencies need an economical solution to meet recent emissions standards passed by the California Air Resources Board."

Proterra's Approach
Built from the ground-up as a battery-electric zero emission transit vehicle in Colorado, Proterra's transit solution boasts innovative advancements that significantly reduce the lifetime cost of ownership including:

• TerraVolt Energy Storage System - the industry's only system that can be fully charged in less than 10 minutes; and the longest lasting energy storage system available for heavy duty applications.
• Flexible ProDrive system that can operate in battery-electric mode or with any small auxiliary power unit (APU) to extend vehicle range when needed;
• All-electric components optimized through vehicle management systems to minimize energy usage throughout the vehicle;
• Regenerative braking system utilizing the UQM PowerPhase 150 to recapture over 90% of the vehicle's kinetic energy available during braking, and
• Sophisticated battery management system operates at the 'cell' level to optimize energy efficiency and system life.

Fighting Harmful Diesel Pollutants
Proterra's focus on the California market is directly related to the state's high pollution levels, much of which are tracked back to diesel engines. The Clean Air Task Force notes that by reducing diesel fine particle emissions 50 percent by 2010, 75 percent by 2015, and 85 percent by 2020 would save nearly 100,000 American lives between now and 2030.

"California is a high priority for us with five of the top 10 most polluted cities in America, according to the American Lung Association's 2008 State of the Air Report," said Jeff Granato, President and CEO, Proterra. "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. We're excited to show California the EcoRide BE35 as an important next step to emissions free transit."