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Classified in: Transportation, Science and technology, Business
Subject: CON

Raleigh-Durham Airport Taps Proterra To Deliver North Carolina's First Electric Airport Passenger Bus Fleet


BURLINGAME, Calif., Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Proterra, the leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, announced that the Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) Authority has approved the purchase of four Proterra Catalyst® E2 zero-emissions battery-electric transit buses and related charging infrastructure.  RDU selected Proterra as its battery-electric bus provider citing the company's sustainability, performance and operational cost-savings excellence.  This purchase marks Proterra's first airport customer and the first airport electric bus deployment in the Carolinas.

Proterra Logo (PRNewsFoto/Proterra)

"Bringing zero-emission buses to airports throughout North America is an integral part of Proterra's next stage of growth, and we couldn't be happier to announce RDU as our first airport customer," said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra.

Currently, RDU shuttle buses transport on average 112,166 passengers and luggage per month between the airport's two ParkRDU Economy lots and terminals with a diesel-powered fleet consisting of 14, 40-foot transit buses that are replaced every 7-10 years. Funded in part by a $1.6 million zero-emissions vehicle grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, the new Proterra battery-electric buses will replace four older diesel buses, resulting in the elimination 16.9 million pounds of greenhouse gases over the lifetime of these vehicles. 

"The purchase of these four buses demonstrates our commitment to a world-class airport experience," said Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority President and CEO Michael Landguth. "We are excited about both the sustainable benefits as well as the improved passenger experience these new buses will provide."

Since the Proterra buses have no combustion engine, riders will enjoy a smoother, exhaust-free ride, experiencing less noise as the bus travels between the terminal and parking lot shuttle stops. In addition to traveler benefits, the operational cost of electricity, at $.19/mile, is substantially lower than diesel, at $.84/mile.  Combining this with greatly improved vehicle efficiency, at 21 MPG equivalent, and reduced vehicle maintenance costs will result in a savings of about $1.8 million during the 12-year lifetime of these new Proterra buses.  Scheduled to be placed in service in early 2019, the buses will be designed and built at Proterra's Greenville, S.C. manufacturing facility.

"As a top innovation-driven community in the U.S., the Raleigh-Durham region is home to one of the nation's largest and most successful research parks, a major center for high-tech and biotech research, and world-class universities.  RDU's pioneering vision to transition from dirty diesel to a zero-emission fleet further fuels the area's spirit of innovation and demonstrates how Proterra is able to scale our technology, serve this new market and further our goal of providing clean, quiet transportation to all," said Popple.

About the FAA Zero Emissions Airport Vehicle Grant
The Federal Aviation Administration's Zero Emissions Airport Vehicle and Infrastructure Pilot Program was created in 2012 to improve airport air quality and facilitates use of zero emissions technologies at airports. Grants are awarded for up to 50 percent of the cost of zero emissions vehicles and associated infrastructure.

About the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority and its 300 staff operates and manages Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the primary air travel gateway to central North Carolina. The airport served more than 11 million passengers in 2016, about 30,000 customers every day. RDU is home to more than 5,000 employees and contributes more than $8.5 billion and 20,000 jobs to the region's economy each year.  The Airport Authority has won the Triangle Business Journal's Heathiest Employer of the Triangle for the past three years straight and in 2017 was named the best connected medium hub airport by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's International Center for Aviation.

About Proterra:
Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, enabling bus fleet operators to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to local communities across the United States. With more than 400 vehicles sold to 41 different municipal, university, airport and commercial transit agencies in 20 states, Proterra is committed to providing state of the art, high-performance vehicles to meet today's growing market demand. The company's configurable Catalyst platform is capable of serving the full daily mileage needs of the toughest transit routes on a single charge. With unmatched durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. certification testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America, with offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina and Los Angeles. For more information, visit:http://www.proterra.com and follow us on Twitter @Proterra_Inc.

SOURCE Proterra


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