Tallahassee's Transit Agency displays clean all---electric bus technology at Florida Public Transit Association (FPTA) Conference
Tallahassee, FL - Nov 2012, The City of Tallahassee's StarMetro Transit Agency presented a new zero emission all-electric bus at the Florida Public Transit Association (FPTA) Conference October 28-30th. StarMetro plans to replace three of its diesel buses with Proterra 35' EcoRide all-electric buses. Replacing conventional buses with the composite-body, all-electric, zero emission buses will help StarMetro reduce fuel costs improving Tallahassee's air quality.
The EcoRide buses are manufactured by Proterrra, a leading American bus manufacturer in Greenville, SC. The buses can operate continuously using en route, fast charging technology and achieve a fuel economy of 21+ MPG diesel equivalent, as much as 6 times the average fuel economy of the conventional diesel buses they are replacing. Utilizing fast charging stations, the buses can recharge their battery system while on their normal routes. This feature allows StarMetro to maintain current schedules without service changes or disruptions to fuel the buses.
"By replacing three of our diesel transit buses with all-electric buses, StarMetro will realize the elimination of almost 260 tons of carbon dioxide CO2e annually," said Ron Garrison, executive director of StarMetro. "StarMetro is dedicated to exploring and providing new, green technologies to the City of Tallahassee, and these all electric buses are an integral part of that commitment."
StarMetro also expects to achieve significant maintenance cost savings over the life of the electric buses. The EcoRide has no internal combustion engine, and thus has no need for oil changes. In addition, regenerative braking reduces the wear on the braking system. These buses also represent a significant investment in growing green jobs for Americans. More than 85% of the buses' components are American made, an important contribution in supporting America's economy. The
StarMetro bus replacement is managed by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), and is sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The project is part of the FTA's Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program, an effort that began in 2009 to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and energy use within transit operations.
"We are proud of the buses that Proterra will deploy at StarMetro.. We think the citizens of Tallahassee will really enjoy the buses' clean, quiet ride in addition to the obvious environmental benefits they provide.," said Steve Clermont, Senior Project Manager at CTE.
About CTE
The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Atlanta, Georgia that develops technologies and implements solutions to achieve energy and environmental sustainability. Since its founding in 1993, CTE has managed a portfolio of more than $240 million in federal, state, and local cost- shared research, development, and demonstration projects involving more than 200 organizations in the advanced transportation technology field. CTE has facilitated and leveraged funding for its projects and initiatives from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, Interior, and Transportation, as well as from the U.S. Army and NASA, among many others.
