White Paper on Transit Buses: The Advent of Electrification
By Eric Getz, 2017 Summer Intern
Proterra
In 2017, the electric car movement is considerably underway and well known throughout the US. Tesla and its visionary CEO Elon Musk are household names throughout the country and nearly every major automotive manufacturer has invested in this movement in some form. However, ask someone about electric buses and you are hard pressed to find anyone who can confirm their existence, let alone anyone who’s actually seen one in person. Yet the electric bus movement is quietly advancing to be on pace with the electric car movement. Much like the electric car industry, the electric bus sector has greatly benefitted from recent advances in electric technology, falling battery prices, and a growing number of heavily funded companies vying for dominance in a market ripe with an immense potential for growth. Indeed, due to several factors unique to the bus transit industry it will almost certainly surpass electric cars very soon in terms of market penetration.