There’s a battle ongoing in the world of electric buses, and the latest salvo comes from the Proterra camp, which has just announced its new TerraVolt XR extended-range electric bus. Offering up to 180 miles of driving on a single charge, the new Proterra TerraVolt XR electric bus will offer municipalities yet another option when it comes to replacing aging diesel buses.
“Operating successfully in cities across the country, the Proterra Catalyst™ is the most energy-efficient transit bus on the market,” said Matt Horton, vice president of sales and marketing at Proterra, Inc. “Adding extended-range capabilities to our existing portfolio of fast-charge products, enables us to help our customers meet more of their most demanding service requirements. The flexibility of our platform allows our customers to more confidently invest in the future of transit.”
This means Proterra can now compete mile-for-mile with its primary rival, BYD, allowing for bus inter-city travel rather than merely local deliveries. The TerraVolt XR joins the TerraVolt FC, which has less range but can be recharged in as little as 5 minutes, minimizing downtime. Even with a smaller battery, the TerraVolt FC was able to cover some 700 miles in 24 hours, though the BYD electric bus covered nearly 750 miles in the same time. Things are tight between these two electric buses to be sure. The TerraVolt XR will take about an hour to charge in comparison, with up to 321 kWh of onboard energy storage, compared to the FC’s maximum pack size of 131 kWh.
Both BYD and Proterra aim to be the electric bus of choice for America, and with the TerraVolt XR Proterra can offer municipalities the best of both worlds; a short-range, fast-charging bus, or a longer-range vehicle with minimal downtime. Either option is better than the current crop of diesel buses, that’s for sure.
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