The ‘Tesla of buses’ breaks records by traveling 1,100 miles on one charge

Abigail Beall Read more September 20, 2017

An electric bus developed by US-based Proterra has broken a world record for the distance travelled on a single charge.

The ‘Tesla of buses’ breaks records by traveling 1,100 miles on one charge

Proterra’s 40ft Catalyst E2 max used its 660 kWh of energy storage capacity to travel 1,101.2 miles (1,173km). The record-breaking test took place at the Navistar Proving Grounds in New Carlisle, Indiana.

“For our heavy-duty electric bus to break the previous world record of 1,013.76 miles — which was set by a light-duty passenger EV 46 times lighter than the Catalyst E2 max — is a major feat,” said Matt Horton, Proterra’s chief commercial officer.

“This record achievement is a testament to Proterra’s purpose-built electric bus design, energy-dense batteries and efficient drivetrain.”

Improvements in technology mean lithium-ion batteries are becoming more efficient, longer-lasting and cheaper.

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“Driven by the best cost savings per mile, we believe the business case for heavy-duty electric buses is superior to all other applications, and that the transit market will be the first to transition completely to battery-electric powered vehicles,” said Proterra CEO Ryan Popple.

“Early electric bus adopters like our first customer, Foothill Transit, have paved the way for future heavy-duty applications, like motor coaches and commercial trucks. As we see incumbents and more companies enter the heavy-duty EV market, it has become very apparent that the future is all-electric, and the sun is setting on combustion engine technology.”

This is the latest in a step towards electric vehicles being used worldwide and the technology is driving more efficient, lighter vehicles.

Earlier this week, it was announced an aluminum plant was reopening in Wales for the manufacturing of London’s next fleet of black cabs, which will be hybrids.