American electric vehicle manufacturer, Proterra, has announced a new fleet of zero-emission buses that it claims can travel up to 350 miles on a single charge.
Called the Catalyst E2 series, the buses have a storage capacity of 440 to 660 kWh and set a new industry precedent.
Last month at Michelin's Laurens Proving Grounds in the US, Proterra claims that an E2 series vehicle managed to travel more than 600 miles.
Drivin' 2: Electric Busaloo
This range taken alongside the vehicle's nominal range of 194 to 350 miles means that an E2 series bus should be able to cover almost every municipal bus route in America for a day without requiring a recharge.
In some ways this makes a Proterra bus a completely viable direct alternative to the standard fossil-fueled buses currently in use – not only is it energy efficient, it can cover the same routes with no need for the driver to stop.
There is a chance some transit companies could be put off by a higher initial purchase price of Proterra's vehicles.
However, with longer term consideration these companies could be swayed by the fact that electric vehicles generally have lower maintenance costs.
In addition to this, being seen to use zero-emission vehicles could be beneficial to a company's image as increasing numbers of people are becoming environmentally conscious.
When it goes into production, the Catalyst E2 series will be joining Proterra's Catalyst FC and XR series vehicles already on the roads in the US.
Considering Proterra is reporting that its annual sales have increased 220% on 2015'snumbers, the company is expecting that the Catalyst E2's industry-leading range will only increase on its success.
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