Smooth ride

The electric buses emit no tailpipe pollution and will be able to travel about 150 to 170 miles on a full charge, which takes three to five hours.

The ride is markedly quieter and smoother than that of diesel buses and, when turning, the battery-powered vehicles are less inclined to sway or jerk, thanks in part to a low center of gravity, as the batteries are located below the bus floor.

The new buses will be equipped with WiFi and USB charging ports, upholstered seats offering ample leg room, storage bins and a large back window where the engine is located on diesel buses.

These latest additions to the SamTrans fleet also feature low-maintenance disc brakes and a low floor design, which includes ramps instead of lifts and a Q-Pod wheelchair restraint system, which is safer and easier to operate than the existing ratchet-based system, according to a press release.

Proterra’s composite bus body is much lighter and easier to maintain than the steel frames of the diesel fleet, and has an expected life span of up to 18 years. A high power-to-weight ratio allows for acceleration of zero-to-20 mph in seven seconds.

The batteries are expected to last six to eight years, after which time buses see a gradual decline in mileage.

Seating capacity is about the same on SamTrans’ current diesel buses as on the electric ones, which have 40 seats and can handle about 37 standing riders.

Mac Burns, regional sales director for Proterra, said he regularly hears from riders in cities where Proterra’s electric buses are already in use who say it’s worth the wait to let the diesel buses pass by and catch the electric ones instead. He also said people living near electric bus routes celebrate the noise reduction, while bus drivers half-jokingly complain the ride is so quiet they can now hear everyone’s cellphone conversations.

As for safety concerns some have with respect to quiet electric vehicles, Burns said cities could always request some sort of speaker be installed on buses, but as of now, no city the company has worked with has felt the need.

Proterra’s batteries are manufactured in Burlingame, and its buses can be found in nearby Stockton and San Jose, and throughout the country in Nevada, Kentucky, Texas and Massachusetts, among other states.

These buses are made possible by technology that has only become available in the last four or so years, which is partly why SamTrans has awarded the $9.2 million contract when it did.

The contract, which includes two charging stations — one at each SamTrans maintenance facility — is funded by federal, state, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and SamTrans funds, according to the release.

The 10 new electric buses will replace some of the oldest diesel buses in the SamTrans fleet, and will complement the 25 hybrids already in operation.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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