On Sept. 15, Proterra announced that Nashville's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has purchased two additional 35-foot Proterra EcoRide electric buses. MTA expects its first electric fleet of nine Proterra fast-charge vehicles to be on the road later this year, jumpstarting Nashville's zero-emission mass transit system.
"The nine Proterra buses will serve the Music City's 659,000 metropolitan population and be integrated into MTA's Music City Circuit, which is free to ride for all passengers and offers easy access to many of Nashville's historic landmarks," said India Birdsong, chief operating officer at MTA.
MTA funded the purchase of the buses and two accompanying charging stations with a combination of federal Clean Fuels grants and local match funding. Over the 12-year life of a bus, Proterra customers dramatically reduce fuel and maintenance costs, saving around $462K vs. diesel and $404K vs. CNG, making the vehicles 64 percent more cost-effective to operate than diesel or 60 percent more cost-effective than CNG.
"Nashville is an iconic deployment for zero-emission, battery-electrictransit buses. The city is already setting a great example in urban sustainability and is experiencing strong local growth as people are choosing to live closer to work, school and entertainment. We're proud to be a technology partner in their strategy to create a smart city that preserves the local environment, while offering exceptional service and amenities to locals and tourists alike," said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. "Nashville is a great illustration of what we're seeing on the national level, and we're happy to support the Music City in its swift adoption of electric transit."
