Electric cars are known to be sleeker and sexier, but not the Proterra. Basically speaking, it is an electric bus. The bus comes from Ryan Popple, and he and his team have designed a new electric bus that can drive about 258 miles on a single charge (as what results from recent tests dictated). That distance is farther than most small-framed electric cars can go. It is also farther than a daily city bus route.
Since it can really go the distance than the conventional gas-guzzling buses of today, it could mean that it is time to replace the hundreds of thousands of diesel-powered buses in the country. Most of today’s buses average on less than five miles to the gallon, and they belch out carbon pollution to say the least.
The Proterra Could be The Solution For Lesser Pollution Emitted by Buses
Since the Proterra saves so much on fuel, it will actually pay for itself in due time. In fact, it will become an overall cheaper alternative than purchasing hybrid-diesel buses or even those that run on natural gas.
Popple says that they are taking a technology that is used to power $100,000 sports cars, and putting that into the most accessible transportation asset in the country.
Much like Tesla did with their electric cars, the Proterra bus was designed from scratch. Since electric vehicles will fundamentally work differently than an automobile that runs on diesel or gas, then using the old designs for manufacturing practically does not make any sense. In fact, the engine of this environment-friendly bus is no longer the heaviest part of the vehicle. Furthermore, drivers and passengers no longer have to worry about exhaust or flammable liquids inside the tank.
There are some parts of the bus that were optimized for electricity. This creates a slew of advantages. For instance, the bus is made out of carbon fiber so it has an ultra-lightweight design. Furthermore, since the body is not made of metal, it won’t be prone to rust and can actually last longer on the road. Another plus is that the weight will be evenly distributed throughout the entire bus, which makes for better acceleration and turning.
The Proterra could very well be the green solution everybody is looking for when it comes to public transport. Probably the most exciting part for manufacturing this bus is it brings clean tech for everyone. Popple is convinced that the future of public transport will run on electricity instead of diesel.