Electric bus sets world record distance

Heavy-duty electric transportation innovator Proterra has announced it has set a world record for an EV driving the longest distance on a single charge.

Proterra’s 12 metre Catalyst E2 max electric bus travelled 1772.2km with 660kWh of energy storage capacity 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 (1631.48km) – which was set by a light-duty passenger EV 46 times lighter than the Catalyst E2 max – is a major feat,” Proterra chief commercial officer Matt Horton says. “This record achievement is a testament to Proterra’s purpose-built electric bus design, energy-dense batteries and efficient drivetrain.”

Beyond meeting transit agencies’ range requirements, the Catalyst E2 max is poised to make a significant impact on the transit market because of its low operational cost per kilometre compared to conventional fossil fuel powered buses.

According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, lithium-ion battery prices have dropped by roughly 72% since 2010, and the economics for batteries continue to improve.

Proterra and Korean chemical company LG Chem, a leading lithium-ion battery maker, are co-developing a battery cell optimised to meet the heavy-duty vehicle market’s performance and safety demands.

A new battery facility is capable of producing more than 500mWh of high-voltage battery packs annually to meet heavy-duty EV demand.

“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,” Proterra chief executive officer Ryan Popple says.

“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.”