Proterra, Daimler teaming up to make electric school buses
California and other states are investing in electric school buses, which can ferry children around without polluting their lungs with diesel exhaust. More should soon be coming to North America, thanks to a new partnership between Burlingame electric-bus maker Proterra and auto giant Daimler.
Proterra raised $155 million this month in a round led by Daimler and Tao Capital Partners, bringing the company’s total funding to more than $527 million, according to Crunchbase.
Proterra is teaming up with Daimler, the world’s largest maker of commercial vehicles, to look into the electrification of “select Daimler heavy-duty vehicles,” according to the company. First up is coupling Proterra’s battery and drivetrain technologies with Daimler’s Thomas Built Buses to enter the North American school bus market.
“Similar to public transit vehicles, school buses provide mission-critical community infrastructure and offer an
excellent use case for vehicle electrification, as most school buses travel a predictable distance per day that is well within the capability of Proterra’s EV technology,” Proterra said.
The partnership is the third of its kind for Proterra, which was founded in 2004 and has more than 350 employees. In July, the company said it would join forces with Alexander Dennis Inc. and Foothill Transit in Southern California to bring North America the first electric double-decker bus order for a public transit agency.
A year ago, Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool announced that it would be using Proterra’s battery technology for its first all-electric motor coach.