Public Transit: Electric

Buses
By: Madeline Morphis and Andrew
Zmijewski
About the Speakers

● Lauren Cochran Scoville from Proterra

● James Keel from Greenlink
● Proterra makes battery powered buses and chargers
● Headquartered in Burlingame (Northern California)
● Greenlink is in Greenville, SC
● Audience: planners looking to shift their public transit system to battery
powered buses
Main Statistics about Proterra

● First buses are just over 10 years old

● Currently in 43 states/provinces, internationally and locally
● Proterra puts batteries in school buses, delivery trucks, etc.
● Newest bus: Proterra ZX5
● 60 million lbs CO2 emissions avoided
● $433,000 savings over 12 year life
Charging

● Universal charging stations and methods

● Overhead and plug-in charging
○ Overhead is faster
○ Will allow cities to change on the scale needed
● Charge time depends on how much the bus been used, terrain, and load
● Charging during off hours can reduce the cost of charging
● Is it more sustainable since it is uses electricity created via fossil fuels?
● Some cities have begun using solar panels to charge
○ Mainly in Southern California
Greenlink’s experience with Proterra

● 4 buses in use with more to come

● Raised from federal and local, non-tax money
● Proterra buses are reliable
● Good for people inside and outside the buses
● 180 miles a day. 37 cents per mile.
● Advice - good relationship with provider, work with others who have used
them, invest in good warranty and training, expect a learning curve