Proterra to provide three battery-electric transit buses to Worcester Regional Transit Authority as part of clean fuels grant

26 September 2012

The Worcester (Mass.) Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) was recently awarded a $4.4-million Federal Transit Authority Clean Fuels grant to purchase buses from Proterra Inc. The transit authority will use the grant money to replace three of its twelve old diesel buses with Proterra’s all-electric BE-35 35-foot transit buses. (Earlier post.)

The grant award will also pay for the installation of a Proterra on-route charge station at the WRTA’s Union Station transfer center and a shop charger at the new maintenance and operations facility.

The WRTA estimates that replacing these three buses will eliminate 53 tons of harmful emissions and reduce petroleum consumption by more than 23,000 gallons per year, while reducing operating costs by more nearly $500,000.

Other cities anticipated to roll-out Proterra buses in the next six months include Stockton, Calif.; San Antonio, Texas; Tallahassee, Fla. and Seneca, S.C.