'Wrightspeed helping NZ transition to electric Buses'
http://www.sfexaminer.com/electric-bus-company-looks-transform-burlingame-transit/ Burlingame-based electric bus company looks to transform transit April 17, 2016 Brendan P. Bartholomew [image http://s79f01z693v3ecoes3yyjsg1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/p.Proterra.0417.jpg Proterra, a new electric bus company, could change the landscape of public transportation in the Peninsula. (Courtesy Proterra Inc.) ] A recent addition to Burlingame’s business landscape is attempting to do for commuter buses what Tesla Motors has done for passenger cars. Backed by some of the same investors who funded Tesla, and employing former Tesla personnel as well, Proterra, Inc. builds futuristic-looking, battery-powered electric buses that – like Tesla cars — offer enough driving range to rival the fossil fuel-powered vehicles they’re designed to replace. Proterra’s buses are currently deployed in at least 12 U.S. transit fleets, from Tallahassee, Fla. to Stockton [CA]. SamTrans is still years away from implementing electric buses, however. Electric buses tend to cost about twice as much as a 40-foot diesel bus, which cost around $508,000, SamTrans spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew said. Still, she noted, the agency is considering adopting electric buses as part of its sustainability efforts. The average Proterra customer saves about $462,000 in diesel fuel and maintenance costs over the 12-year life of a bus, Proterra spokeswoman Lauren Olivia Burke said. The firm moved its headquarters from Greenville, S.C. to Burlingame last October to be closer to Silicon Valley, said Ryan Popple, Proterra’s president and CEO. Much of Proterra’s battery manufacturing is handled at the Burlingame facility, while the buses are assembled in Greenville and Southern California. As with electric cars, weight reduction is a priority. Therefore, the bus bodies are made from advanced composite materials, with their lower and upper halves each coming out of molds and being fused together like a clamshell. “Our manufacturing process looks more like aviation or defense than automotive,” Popple noted. While battery weight is always a concern with electric vehicles, Popple said locating the buses’ massive batteries close to the ground results in a low center of gravity, which makes the coaches more sure-footed on hills, and reduces the rocking or swaying motions passengers experience during turns. And going full-electric eliminates about 2,000 pounds of conventional bus drivetrain, Popple said, adding that the engine and gearbox in a Proterra bus typically weigh less than 300 pounds. The combination of large batteries and low curb weights allow the buses to run longer. The extended range models are charged overnight, and store enough energy to run all day without recharging, Popple explained. Meanwhile, the fast-charging models make use of overhead chargers installed at bus stops along their routes. During the few minutes it takes customers to board or exit a coach, the charger aligns itself with the vehicle’s charging port, providing enough energy to keep the bus running for two or three hours. Could SamTrans or Muni one day be potential Proterra customers? Popple said, “There have been some great conversations with both agencies.” In February, the San Francisco Examiner reported that Muni’s new electric buses appear to struggle up San Francisco’s hills, though transit officials said they are satisfied with the new buses’ performance. Asked if Proterra’s buses might be better suited to steep grades than Muni’s electric buses, Popple said his products have the necessary power, but it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison. “I cringe when I hear an electric trolley vehicle can’t make it up a hill,” Popple said, “That has nothing to do with EV technology.” But reducing air pollution is a core value for Proterra, Popple noted, and he therefore supports any use of zero-emissions technology by Muni. “We’d much rather see Muni running overhead wires than diesel hybrids,” Popple said. “Their overhead wire fleet is a really good thing, because it keeps people healthy.” Spokesman Paul Rose said Muni welcomes bids from bus manufacturers such as Proterra, but noted his agency is already a leader in reducing carbon emissions. “We currently have one of the greenest fleets in the country, as all of our vehicles are hybrid biodiesel, electric trolley, light rail, street car, or cable operated,” Rose said. [© 2016 The San Francisco Examiner] ... [dated] http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/SamTrans-seeks-Electric-bus-to-begin-a-pilot-program-tp4680450.html SamTrans seeks Electric-bus to begin a pilot program Feb 12 2016 http://www.itsinternational.com/sections/general/news/nz-bus-transitioning-to-electric-powered-vehicles/ NZ Bus transitioning to electric powered vehicles [20160422] New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company has announced a US$30m deal with US electric vehicle powertrain manufacturer Wrightspeed to supply ... 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