The Catalyst, a 40-passenger electric bus developed by Proterra, recently came to Corpus Christi for a test drive. The Regional Transit Authority gave rides on the bus, which is designed to travel 250 miles on a full charge. Courtesy photo
The first fully electric bus has arrived in Corpus Christi. The Regional Transportation Authority test drove Proterra’s 40-passenger bus, the Catalyst, on Nov. 20 with a group of invited passengers. The RTA hopes to take advantage of federal transportation money to fund the infrastructure for an entire fleet of electric buses.
Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission vehicles that enable bus fleet operators to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to the community. Based in Burlingame, California, the company has sold more than 312 vehicles to 35 different transit agencies across North America. It hopes Corpus Christi will soon be one of those customers.
The Catalyst is a 40-foot bus with two batteries approximately the size of a mattress. A full charge will take the vehicle about 250 miles, but dock stations at bus stops could keep the a bus running for about 16 hours.
The Federal Transportation Administration has promised 100 percent funding for the power infrastructure for cities wanting to go the electric route. The money should become available in April 2017.
The RTA’s purpose was to build interest in the community for a future electric bus project.
