The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has awarded funding to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) to deploy 15 Proterra Catalyst buses, 11 Proterra depot-chargers, and 4 Proterra fast-chargers in order to improve local air quality and public health in disadvantaged communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
Proterra will deploy its buses and charging stations throughout the Valley, including the City of Visalia Transit Division, Fresno County Rural Transit Agency, California State University Fresno, San Joaquin Regional Transit District and City of Modesto Transit Services – helping to significantly reduce harmful emissions and clean the air in the San Joaquin Valley.
- Matt Rodriquez, California secretary for environmental protection: "This project demonstrates how California's leadership in clean-vehicle innovation is benefiting all Californians. These zero-emission buses will be built in California and driven in California, cleaning the air and serving the public transit needs of disadvantaged communities up and down the San Joaquin Valley."
- Samir Sheikh, deputy air pollution control officer of the SJVAPCD: “In the last 22 years, we have implemented voluntary incentive programs that have resulted in more than 134,000 tons of emission reductions. We are particularly proud of projects like this one with Proterra as they accelerate the deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty technologies, which reduces emissions from mobile sources, the biggest air quality challenge facing the Valley. We expect this program will eliminate 1.592 tons per year of weighted criteria pollutants.”
- Mary D. Nichols, CARB chair: "The state’s investment of proceeds from the cap-and-trade program for made-in-California electric buses is a smart move. It generates new clean tech jobs right here in our state and helps replace dirty buses – that generate high levels of pollution – with buses that have no tailpipe emissions at all. This investment supports the market for larger zero-emission vehicles, cuts greenhouse gases, and delivers cleaner air where it is most needed: disadvantaged communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley.”
CARB’s investment from the highly competitive Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Pilot Program will create advanced technology hubs and provide direct economic, environmental and public health benefits to disadvantaged Valley communities while serving as a regional model that supports economies of scale in manufacturing, training, maintenance, and vehicle-to-grid integration. The Valley-wide electrification project will further help drive down vehicle costs and offer immediate opportunities for shared infrastructure, spare parts, and workforce training. Opportunities for technology transfer will also help drive additional deployments of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle technologies throughout California and North America.
Proterra will manufacture the buses and charging infrastructure at its newest facility in Southern California, which was partially funded by the California Energy Commission. Proterra’s City of Industry manufacturing facility was built to meet the growing demand for zero-emission buses throughout the Western United States, and will ensure close collaboration and ease of maintenance for San Joaquin Valley communities during the 12-year vehicle lifespan.
“Faced with climbing populations and increased socioeconomic stratification, urban ecosystems are being pressured to renovate their transportation networks to meet the needs of all residents – marginalizing none and prioritizing all,” said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. “We are pleased to be working with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District on democratizing electric mobility, bringing state-of-the-art technology to the residents of the Central Valley.”
