Since the company was founded over a decade ago by a pair of bold entrepreneurs, Tesla Motors has continually defied expectations and shattered records with their line of electric cars, changing the way we think about the long-term practicality and potential impact of these futuristic vehicles. Now, a former employee of Tesla is working to make a similar impact on the bus market.
Proterra is a Greenville, S.C.-based company that was founded in 2004 by bus industry veteran Dale Hill. By the time Ryan Popple of Tesla joined the team, Proterra was poised to do something truly remarkable. Since then, they’ve created a fully electric bus from the ground up, aiming for Tesla-like innovation and performance.
Already, they’ve achieved some truly impressive performance benchmarks. Proterra’s electric buses can travel up to 200 miles on a single charge and then recharge in as little as ten minutes. They’ve also set records for acceleration, grade-climbing and efficiency. Not only that, Proterra’s product holds the distinction of being the lightest electric bus ever made. Of course the features that passengers are most likely to appreciate are its quiet operation and lack of diesel fumes.
In addition to the innovations within the buses, Proterra has also introduced wireless charging stations that allow the buses to be quickly and discreetly charged while waiting at bus stops. Major cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, and Lexington have already started employing the buses in their transit system. By 2016, Proterra hopes to have over 100 of its buses in cities all across the country. Once a second factory is completed in California’s San Gabriel Valley, Proterra will be able to bring even more of its record-breaking buses to a street near you.
