SporTran and Proterra deploy Louisiana’s first electric battery buses

The five Proterra 40′ Catalyst E2 buses will go into service this month, serving Louisiana’s third-largest city. Shreveport is the first city in the state to purchase battery-electric buses.

Proterra’s 40′ Catalyst E2 series achieve 22 MPGe, compared to conventional diesel buses which average 3.86 MPG. While steel bus frames are widely-used in the industry, these new buses have a lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced composite bus body which helps to maximise vehicle life, while minimising repairs and maintenance.

These buses will utilise Combined Charged Standard (CCS) plug-in DC fast chargers, enabling multiple types and brands of EV cars, trucks and busses to potentially share the same charging equipment and lower infrastructure costs for all electric vehicles. Over the 12-year lifetime of the five Proterra zero-emission buses, more than 18 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions will be averted. 

To mark the deployment, SporTran, Proterra and senior government officials came together with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to commemorate the new electric buses and the debut of new transit stations and infrastructure.

“In the wake of a devastating hurricane season for surrounding communities, we are reminded by our long-term mission to sustainably serve Shreveport and our neighbours,” said Dinero Washington, CEO at SporTran. “This means providing innovative and cost-saving solutions that ensure clean, reliable transit for years to come.”

In 2016, SporTran won the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Grant, which funded the five electric buses, three depot chargers and an on-route fast charger. By replacing its diesel buses, SporTran estimates that the new buses will save more than $2.2 million on maintenance and fuel, over the lifetime of the five vehicles. As a result, SporTran will re-invest the savings into Shreveport’s transportation system with the goal of improving bus routes, technology and rider experience.