When it comes to electric vehicles and distance records, I am quite sure that not many people would think of a bus, but rather, reflect on the possibilities of a car or sporty ride. Well, Proterra’s attempt at this long distance record with a transit bus has yielded quite an impressive result – we are talking about a spanking new high of 700 miles in a matter of 24 hours.
This should not come across as a surprise for Proterra since the company happens to deal in buses mainly, so obviously this would be the vehicle of choice (pardon the pun) in the record setting attempt. Apart from that, Proterra has done their work to deliver a highly-efficient people mover that boasts of an extremely light weight chassis thanks to the implementation of a composite body as well as a relatively small battery which can be charged fast and often.
Known as the EcoRide BE-35, this bus traveled at an average of 29 miles per hour with the HVAC system engaged. This allowed it to touch a high of over 700 miles, translating to an estimated 27 MPGe while doing so. In comparison to a standard diesel-powered bus, one would see a return that is somewhere in the region of 6 miles per gallon. [Press Release]
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