The project is estimated to hire 1,300 workers over the next five years. Funds will also be used to advance Proterra’s clean technology research and to promote policies in support of clean commuting.
At the Greenville plant, Proterra will manufacture its transit bus, the EcoRide BE-35, which the company claims is a patented, zero emission, fast-charge, battery-electric transit bus that replaces traditional diesel buses.
According to the Federal Transit Administration sponsored Altoona, Pennsylvania Bus Testing Center, the EcoRide BE-35 provides 500% greater fuel efficiency than conventional diesel buses and more than 400% greater efficiency than the hybrid transit buses.
Over a 12-year lifecycle, Proterra buses are expected to save an average of $400,000 per bus in fuel costs as compared to a conventional diesel bus and almost $300,000 when compared to hybrid buses. The company said that the deployment of EcoRide BE-35 can also reduce fossil fuel consumption by approximately 493 million gallons per year.
Ignacio Iribarren, managing director of MK E+I, said: “The performance of Proterra’s vehicles, combined with the results of our comprehensive analysis of Proterra’s innovative energy storage, drive and related vehicle platforms, made the investment decision easy.
“Our goal is to help Proterra vehicles become the standard in the United States and, eventually, in Europe and Latin America.”
