Proterra Inc, a provider of zero-emission battery electric transit solutions, recently announced the sale of seven buses and an electric charging station to Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (Nashville MTA). The buses are slated to be built at Proterra’s manufacturing facility in Greenville, S.C. and delivered to Nashville this year.
The funds for the zero-emission electric buses and the electric charging station are the result of Nashville MTA’s successful application for a federal Clean Fuels grant and local matching funds from the city. The Proterra buses will serve the free downtown Music City Circuit, which is designed to help residents and visitors reach sports and entertainment venues, downtown hotels, residences and offices more quickly and easily.
"We are committed to investing in transit improvements that better our community by reducing harmful emissions and improving fuel economy," said Paul J. Ballard, CEO of Nashville MTA and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee (RTA). "By incorporating the Proterra buses into our fleet, we are moving in the right direction to ensure Nashville MTA’s transit services benefit the environment for years to come."
With this purchase, Nashville becomes the latest city to reduce operating costs, decrease emissions and improve the area’s quality of life through the purchase of zero emissions transit buses. Proterra was selected through a competitive procurement process, which included bids from Wave, New Flyer, EV America and BYD.
"We are extremely pleased that Nashville MTA has selected Proterra as their provider of electric transit solutions," said Garrett Mikita, president and CEO, Proterra Inc. "Our company has proven our ability to provide long-term cost savings and improve an authority’s dependence on fossil fuels, as evidenced by our growing list of customers.