Transit users in West Covina, CA are about to be riding around in fast charging electric buses. Beginning September 3, Foothill Transit will launch the Ecoliner, the world’s first heavy duty electric bus on its Line 291, one of the busiest routes in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys of Los Angeles County. The route services customers traveling between La Verne and Pomona. The Ecoliner will be able to travel 30 miles before recharging. Just ten minutes will be needed to fully recharge the vehicle at the Pomona Transit Center’s docking station.
Roger Chandler, the chair of Foothill Transit’s executive board, says rapid development in battery and vehicle technology made the project possible. Meanwhile, Dale Hill, chairman of Proterra, which produces electric-battery buses from the ground up, says Foothill Transit is leading the change in the transit industry by utilizing the Ecoliner. If the vehicle performs as expected Foothill Transit could then exercise the option for an additional nine Ecoliners. Foothill Transit’s fleet of 260 vehicles carry nearly 15 million passengers along 33 fixed bus routes. For more, visit www.foothilltransit.org.
I would like to commend the company in developing this new electric bus liner with a two gear gearbox. I would like to know if the three gearbox electric buses are now in service and does it have regenerative braking now? Who and where could a potential customer like myself contact for more technical specifications and costs to import into my country. Thank you for your reply. Luimack Johnson, Papua New Guinea.