SamTrans to replace 10 diesel buses with Proterra’s  electric buses

With the goal of electrifying its entire bus fleet by 2033, San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) has ordered 10 new 40-feet Proterra Catalyst E2 vehicles. This is the District’s major step toward creating a clean transportation future for all its riders and residents.

SamTrans’ 312 vehicle fleet plies on 77 routes and carries more than 36,000 people on weekdays. The 10 Proterra Catalyst buses will begin service in 2019 as part of the SamTrans' fleet and serve a number of routes in San Mateo County. According to SamTrans, the 10 Catalyst buses will eliminate over 5 million pounds of harmful emissions, annually. They also claim that over their 12-year lifetime, the 10 Proterra buses will lead to a savings of $4.5 million in maintenance and operations cost savings. The purchase of these new buses is fully funded by a combination of federal, State, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and SamTrans funds.

SamTrans CEO/General Manager Jim Hartnett said, “Proterra is designing and manufacturing the batteries that will be powering our new electric bus fleet just 20 minutes away from us.”

Proterra’s new Burlingame battery production facility is currently ramping up production to meet demand and can produce over 500 MWh of E2 battery packs on an annual basis. The E2 battery packs represent the heavy-duty industry’s highest pack-level energy density at 160 Wh/kg and 260 Wh/L. Made from lightweight ballistic-grade materials to withstand the toughest conditions, Proterra’s standard E2 pack was designed from the ground up with an emphasis on safety, durability and performance.

Proterra aims to be the leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. Recently, it enabled BGE to become the first utility company in the US to incorporate electric buses in its fleet.