A performance test of the Proterra electric bus was conducted recently by the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. During the three runs done, the people mover had the best result of 29.23 MPGe and the worst at 17.55 MPGe.
The FCBE 35 from Proterra is powered by the UQM PowerPhase 150 engine. The engine produces a maximum power of 201 horsepower and continuous power rating of 134 hp. Other major features of the vehicle include regenerative braking, voltage and speed control, and optimal four quadrant performance.
The test simulated the duty cycle of the transport bus which traversed the make shift business district and the major transportation arteries. On the central business district phase, the diesel equivalency of the electric bus was marked at 21.35 mpg. The arterial phase returned a reading of 17.55 mpg while the commuter phase had a remarkable 29.23 mpg.
Each stage of the test simulated a central business district run with 7 stops on average per mile cruising on a top speed of 20 mph. The commuter phase had 1 stop with a top speed of 40 mph.
The parameters electric bus was tested on a 38 seating capacity load amounting to a gross weight of 36680. The fuel economy test was conducted with the air conditioners of the bus turned off. Aircon use may reduce fuel mileage by as much as 30 percent.
The results of the test reveal that the fuel efficiency of the Proterra’s FCBE 35 outshines the commuter buses today by as much as 400%.