The California Energy Commission awarded a $3 million grant to Proterra, the leading provider of zero-emission battery-electric buses, at its April Business Meeting. The grant will fund the design, development and construction of Proterra's new state-of-the-art zero-emission, battery-electric transit bus manufacturing line in California. Proterra's expansion was prompted by the strong growth in market demand for the new Proterra Catalyst™ vehicle.
The proposed facility, to be located in the San Gabriel Valley, is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2015 and will create more than 70 new local jobs. During the grant term, Proterra plans to manufacture an estimated 424 buses, resulting in a reduction of 900M lbs of CO2 over the lifetime of those vehicles. Proterra was the only bus provider selected for CEC funding and also announced that existing customer Foothill Transit in L.A. County has placed another order for additional Proterra buses to meet increased demand from its ridership base.
"California continues to be a dynamic center for innovation and business opportunities due in part to advanced transportation manufacturers like Proterra," said GO-Biz director Kish Rajan. "Furthermore, innovations like Proterra's zero-emission transit buses support the state's goal of achieving 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California's roadways by 2025."
Proterra selected the San Gabriel Valley as an optimal location to serve existing and future transit customers throughout California. The manufacturing facility will benefit economically distressed communities throughout the San Gabriel Valley—providing good living-wage jobs in southern California's emerging center of high-tech manufacturing. Ultimately, implementing the California Zero-Emission Public Transit Bus Manufacturing Project will help further lower production costs, reduce the upfront cost of zero- emission buses and provide a strong spark to accelerate widespread deployment and adoption. The project will accelerate private investment in California, bringing in $5,411,352 in private investment to match the $3,000,000 Energy Commission investment, for a total project budget of $8,411,352.
"We're pleased to welcome American bus manufacturer, Proterra, to City of Industry and expect their new facility will spur both state and local investment, create new jobs, and potentially reduce bus maintenance and operation costs," said Commissioner Janea A. Scott of the California Energy Commission. "Zero-emission transit is a key element of the state's policies and programs for deploying advanced transportation technologies to help address climate change, improve our clean air, and reach our petroleum reduction goals."
"For decades, California has been a consistent leader on policy for the advanced transportation technologies that are now ushering the second wave of adoption for zero-emission transit options like ours," said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. "We applaud the California Energy Commission for its continued leadership and look forward to joining California's growing base of advanced transportation leaders."
About Proterra:
Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission vehicles that enable bus fleet operators to significantly reduce operating cost while delivering clean, quiet transportation to the community. Proterra has sold over 100 vehicles to 14 different transit agencies throughout North America. Proterra's configurable EV platform, battery and charging options make its buses well-suited to a wide range of transit and campus routes. With unmatched durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. certification testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America, with offices in South Carolina and Silicon Valley. For more information visit: http://www.proterra.com/ and follow us on Twitter @Proterra_Inc.