California-based company Proterra believes their electric buses could be another step towards removing our reliance on fossil fuels. Proterra’s Catalyst E2 Max Electric bus set a new world record for the longest distance traveled – 1,102.2 miles – by an electric vehicle on a single charge.
The 40-foot bus packs a hefty 660kWh battery, as compared to a Tesla Model S P100D which has a 100kWh battery and a 315-mile range. The 660kWh battery’s power is equivalent to that of 11 Chevy Bolts and can be recharged to full capacity in just an hour using Poterra’s high-speed charging system. Matt Horton, Proterra’s chief commercial officer talked about the company’s achievement in a news release, “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.”
While the Catalyst E2 Max is still just a test bus, Proterra does have a $700,000 priced model currently being sold with a range of roughly 350 miles. Proterra execs believe dropping battery prices will allow for buses and trucks with ranges over 1,000 miles to become more commonplace in the very near future. Ryan Popple, Proterra’s chief executive believes, “We’re entering an era where electric vehicles are simply better than internal combustion engines on range.”
Source via: Proterra
Written by Mila Medonaite for Design Engine, September 20, 2017