Proterra lands contract for Miami bus fleet

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Proterra Inc. and Florida’s Miami-Dade County this week announced a fleet electrification project with the county acquiring 42 Proterra ZX5+ electric transit buses, featuring a total of 19 megawatt-hours of battery storage capacity, along with plans to install 75 Proterra chargers across three bus depots.

The first electric buses are slated to be delivered in 2022, according to a news release.

Miami has stated a commitment to transportation electrification by expanding its fleet. The Proterra order will bring the city’s total to 75 electric buses, the news release said. It’s one of the largest electric bus fleets in the country and, with 9 megawatts of power, also one of the largest fleet-charging installations in North America.

Proterra is headquartered in Burlingame, Calif., with manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles and Greenville. The company considers Greenville its anchor for East Coast operations.

Proterra CEO Jack Allen said the Miami contract is a chance for the company to demonstrate its ability to deliver comprehensive, full scale deployment of commercial electric vehicle fleets along with EV technology solutions.

"Miami-Dade County has long been a leader in advancing forward-looking clean technology solutions,” he said in the release. “We are delighted to build on our partnership together and drive the county's switch to zero-emission, electric transportation with our EV technology."

Proterra's electric transit buses are equipped with the company's battery technology systems. With more than 600 vehicles on the road, Proterra battery systems have powered buses more than 20 million service miles, according to the release. The company says Proterra battery-electric buses feature zero tailpipe emissions, saving approximately 230,000 pounds of greenhouse gases annually when replacing a diesel bus. 

"This is a major step forward in Miami-Dade County's commitment to incorporate clean, renewable energy to protect our environment and offer better transportation options," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in the release. "With these new electric buses, Miami-Dade will lead the way with the largest sustainable transportation fleet in Florida and one of the largest in the nation."

Proterra began trading on Nasdaq earlier this month.