In 2011, Foothill Transit, a transportation authority in Southern California, became the first transit agency in the US to use on-route charging electric buses when it began a pilot program using buses from South Carolina firm Proterra. Based on strong performance and return on investment of those vehicles, the agency has now decided to purchase an additional 12 buses.

“The Foothill Transit order is a clear vote of confidence and confirmation that Proterra buses truly deliver the lowest total cost of ownership and smallest carbon footprint of any transit bus on the market,” said Proterra CEO Garrett Mikita. “Foothill Transit was our first customer and the first US transit agency to go electric with on-route charging, so we are thrilled that they have seen the value of expanding their electric fleet and will use Proterra buses to do so.”

The Foothill Transit sale is the latest in a wave of new orders for Proterra, with the company’s last three sales coming from repeat customers.  Recently, StarMetro of Tallahassee purchased an additional three EV buses from Proterra, increasing their EV fleet size to five, and the Worcester Regional Transit Authority in Massachusetts doubled its initial three bus order to six.

To keep pace with this growing demand, Proterra has doubled its production workforce, installed a second production line, added a second shift and hired new executives and sales staff.

“As the manufacturer of the only Altoona-tested and road-proven EV bus on the market, Proterra is very well-positioned to capitalize on growing market demand for fuel-efficient and cost-saving transportation solutions,” said Christina Rever, director of human resources at Proterra. “While we are proud that our growth is based on a track record of solid performance, we are even more pleased that our American-made buses are contributing to US energy independence and economic growth.”

Source: Proterra