FOOTHILL TRANSIT TO LAUNCH WORLD’S FIRST HEAVY DUTY FAST CHARGE ELECTRIC BUS
Ecoliner charges in 10 minutes; zero-emissions
WEST COVINA, CA (August 26, 2010) – Foothill Transit, the primary public transportation provider for the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys in Los Angeles County, is launching the world’s first heavy duty, fast charging electric bus on Friday, September 3rd.
The Foothill Transit Ecoliner is a lightweight vehicle with heavy duty responsibilities, driving 30-miles without charging, and will be recharged, hands-free and within its route, in 10 minutes. This public transportation vehicle is the first of its kind in the nation.
“Recent rapid advancement in battery and vehicle technology has made this leading edge project possible,” said Roger Chandler, Chair of Foothill Transit’s Executive Board. “And the challenges that we face with our environment demand that we expand beyond what’s available into what’s possible. This is the time and place for possibility. Excited doesn’t begin to describe how we feel. This is history.”
The project is entirely funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and will be deployed on Foothill Transit’s Line 291, which travels between La Verne and Pomona.
The Ecoliners will recharge about every 30 miles at the Pomona Transit Center at a drive-in docking station. During the project’s life, both Foothill Transit and Proterra LLC, the Ecoliner manufacturer, will monitor the Ecoliner’s ability to handle the demands of a regular, stop-and-go transit route during the trial period.
“This project is taking the lead in changing the transit world,” said Dale Hill, Chairman of Proterra LLC. “Foothill Transit is leading that change for the nation, and we’re excited to be a part of that.”
More detailed information about the Foothill Transit Ecoliner can be found in an online press kit available at foothilltransit.org/library.
