Electric Bus Demonstration Project at Foothill Transit is Innovative, Environmentally-Friendly

When Foothill Transit wanted to make a positive impact on the environment in West Covina, California, they set their sights on the electric bus. Foothill Transit is the primary public transportation provider for the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys in Los Angeles County. As such, they wanted to be sure new vehicles were safe, efficient, innovative, environment-friendly and provided a high level of comfort and convenience for their passengers.

With criteria in hand and with funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, (ARRA) Foothill Transit launched their Electric Bus Demonstration Project. They awarded a $5.8 million contract to Proterra LLC, and procured three battery-powered electric buses and wayside fast charging equipment.

The lightweight buses have futuristic styling and a composite construction design, powered by an electric drive that wouldn’t depend on an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) or on-board range extension equipment. They have a 30-mile minimum range without charging, and will be recharged, in route, in just a few minutes. It’s this technology that makes these buses attractive to both Foothill and Veolia. The in-route docking station for the electric buses can deliver an impressive 95% recharge in less than 10 minutes and will require no intervention or hands-on labor from the bus operator. This fast-charge, in route electric powered bus project is the first of its kind in the nation. No other electric bus in service in the US currently has this kind of technology.

The three buses will be deployed in early 2010 along Foothill Transit’s Line 291, which travels between La Verne and Pomona and will be recharged in route at one of two recharging stations that will be set up on either end of the line, providing the potential for 24/7 service since the vehicles do not have to return to the yard for refueling.

The energy storage on board the three buses will be high density Lithium-titanate batteries; capable of the fast-charging Foothill Transit requires to run its service while providing a longer shelf life than their traditional vehicle battery counterparts.

During the project’s life, both Foothill Transit and Proterra LLC will be monitoring the technology’s ability to handle the demands of a regular, stop-and-go transit route over the two-year trial period. Successful testing of these three buses will provide the opportunity for Foothill Transit to purchase additional buses for project expansion from Proterra.