In 2013, Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) added six zero-emission, battery-electric Proterra Catalyst buses to their fleet. The transition to ZEV buses was a first for any city in The Bay State and a first time New England market entry for Proterra.
Providing the Worcester community with cleaner air, fuel conservation and maintenance cost savings, the Proterra transit EVs replaced traditional dirty diesel buses and were put in service just prior to one of the worst winters on record took hold Dec. 2014-March 2015.
Faced with 39 straight days of sub-freezing temperatures, with an average of 14˚F, and a total snowfall of 115.6 inches, WRTA successfully operated their Proterra buses in normal service during this period. Accumulating more than 27,000 miles, the Proterra vehicles, with a winter on-road MPGe average of 12.3 miles, were four times more efficient than diesel buses.
These winter-tested transit vehicles continue to instill confidence in their operations' reliability and efficiency, and provide riders with a safe, comfortable experience. WRTA drivers praise the buses for ease-of-maneuverability in hazardous cold-weather conditions. And, thanks to Proterra's carbon-fiber-reinforced composite body and its insulating properties, the bus maintains a toasty interior - warding off frigid temperatures all winter long.
