Electric bus manufacturer Proterra and coach operator ABC Companies recently announced what the companies claim is the largest passenger vehicle charging facility—larger, more luxurious buses designed for longer trips than urban transit buses—in North America.
Located on a 3.5-acre site in Newark, California, the facility houses 20 dual-cable EV chargers, allowing it to charge up to 40 motocross trainers, with up to 1.4 megawatts of charging capacity, according to a Proterra press release.
Proterra charging station for electric buses in Newark, California
Proterra was once one of the leaders for electric buses, racing against BYD for some of the top sales. The company has electrified motorcycle trainers from Van Hool with its own batteries and electric powertrain hardware, which its California electric charging facility will support.
ABC Company claims its fleet of electric vehicles, from 8-seater vans to double-decker coaches carrying 75 people, has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles in nearly two years.
Proterra charging station for electric buses in Newark, California
The charging facility was developed with input from utility company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which is expanding its charging infrastructure efforts from passenger cars to commercial vehicles. PG&E claims to have contracted over 180 locations to date, enabling charging for more than 3,700 medium and heavy vehicles.
Electrification of larger vehicles such as buses is an important part of the problem of reducing emissions. A 2021 study found that switching to electric trucks and buses could avert more than 57,000 premature deaths by reducing air pollution. ONE London bus charging project also showed how this additional charging infrastructure could be used to help stabilize the grid by synchronizing charging with peaks and troughs of electricity demand.
