Proterra to Bring Battery-Electric Buses to New Mexico with Atomic City Transit

Atomic City Transit becomes first Proterra customer in New Mexico with agreement to purchase electric buses and chargers

Proterra, a leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, announced that Atomic City Transit in Los Alamos, New Mexico has agreed to purchase two Proterra Catalyst^® 35-foot E2 buses and two Proterra^® 125 kW plug-in charging systems. Atomic City Transit is Proterra’s first customer in New Mexico, increasing Proterra’s reach into 43 U.S. states and Canadian provinces with more than 100 customers.

Atomic City Transit offers transit service in both Los Alamos and White Rock and provides an average of over 545,000 annual passenger trips. Los Alamos received $1.485 million through the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Grant Program to purchase new zero-emission battery electric buses and chargers to replace the City’s existing diesel fleet. The Proterra electric buses will be used on the downtown route.

“Atomic City Transit has been a leader in New Mexico in identifying and implementing innovative solutions that deliver economic and environmental benefits to the public,” said Proterra CEO Ryan Popple. “Proterra’s purpose-built electric buses will help Atomic City Transit meet its sustainability goals while continuing to deliver great service to its community with clean, quiet transportation.”

Proterra^® electric buses have zero tailpipe emissions or pollutants, eliminating about 230,000 pounds of CO2 emissions annually for every diesel vehicle replaced. A switch to zero-emission buses presents a critical opportunity to cut pollution, improve local air quality and reduce oil dependence. It also provides a clean, quiet ride for the public while improving the air quality and contributing to a healthier community.

To help customers like Atomic City Transit meet their toughest routes and conditions, Proterra offers a high performance DuoPower drivetrain, which delivers nearly twice the horsepower and five times better fuel efficiency than a standard diesel engine. The DuoPower drivetrain features two electric motors that deliver an impressive 510 horsepower, accelerating a Catalyst bus from 0-20 mph in about five seconds. In addition, the DuoPower drivetrain can propel a bus up a 27 percent grade, making it an ideal option for routes with steep hills. By combining this industry-leading drivetrain with Proterra’s market-leading battery technology and lightweight composite bus body, the Catalyst vehicle provides superior performance.

To determine the optimal choice of drivetrain, onboard energy storage and charging solution, transit operators considering battery-electric vehicle fleets can engage with Proterra experts in a sophisticated planning process, which includes high-fidelity route simulations, fleet modeling, and a detailed total cost of ownership analysis to determine the right vehicle, battery and charging configurations to meet individual route requirements now and as the fleet scales. With seven years of route modeling knowledge and more than ten million miles of real-world data from electric transit buses on the road today, Proterra leverages its experience to provide best-in-class route and fleet modeling to meet individualized requirements.

“Proterra electric buses are a great solution for transit agencies in the Southwest. With more than 10 million miles of proven performance on the road, our vehicles have tackled some of the toughest routes in all climates,” said Lauren Cochran, Director of Southwest Sales, Proterra. “With more than a decade of experience implementing heavy-duty fleets and infrastructure in North America, our team of experts is ready to help transit agencies seamlessly transition to clean, quiet, battery-electric fleets.”

Category: Electric Vehicles, Featured, General Update, Green, News, Transit News