While electric passenger vehicles are receiving the bulk of the attention thanks to the success of electric automaker Tesla, there is a huge market opportunity to electrify existing fleets of in-house motor utility vehicles by converting them to run on battery power. One of those companies is California-based electric bus maker Proterra.

Founded in 2004, Proterra helps cities electrify their public transport and commercial fleets with cleaner and quieter battery-powered vehicles. The company is best known for building zero-emission electric buses for cities looking to replace their noisy and highly polluting diesel-powered mass transit or commercial vehicles. But Proterra is also renovating existing combustion engine vehicles.

As part of its “Porterra Powered” program for medium and heavy commercial vehicles, automakers can partner with Proterra to transform commercial vehicles with internal combustion engines into high performance, zero emission electric vehicles.

Today, Proterra announced a new battery design that better integrates into existing utility vehicle chassis rails to facilitate the conversion of utility vehicles to battery operation.

The company’s new “H-Series” batteries are narrower and are designed to fit many full-size truck chassis rails, the company said. Proterra will continue to produce its current S-Series modular battery packs, which power Proterra’s fleet of battery-powered electric transit buses.

The H and S series battery packs each use their own unique size module. Proterra’s two battery modules are highly customizable, allowing vehicles to be built with multiple packs depending on customer needs.

“Our flexible battery platform allows for ‘right sizing’ energy and geometry to ensure that our battery system meets the unique needs of each of our customers, including cost and runtime requirements,” said said Dustin Grace, chief technology officer of Proterra.

The company’s new H-series batteries are 620mm wide and have the capacity to hold 25 to 75 kWh of energy storage capacity, the company said. While Proterra S Series battery packs are 860mm wide and can hold up to 113kWh of energy storage per pack.

Modules can be produced at four different rated voltages, giving OEMs the flexibility to vary voltage and power requirements to meet their individual needs. The batteries use NCM 811 low-cobalt lithium-ion cylindrical cells.

“Proterra’s safe and reliable battery technology has been proven to work in hundreds of vehicles on the road today. That’s why world-class manufacturers choose Proterra to power their school buses, coaches, delivery vans and other electric vehicles. are excited to expand our advanced battery platform to help power even more commercial vehicles and accelerate the transition to clean, quiet transportation for all, ”said Jack Allen, CEO and President of Proterra.

For cities looking to deploy more environmentally friendly electric vehicles in their fleet, Proterra’s fully electric vehicles are also a more affordable option in the long run, as electric vehicles are less expensive to maintain, requiring no motors. , fuel system, cooling system or exhaust system maintenance like their diesel counterparts.

Proterra has engineered its batteries to provide maximum range, with a customizable design to fit a variety of vehicles. The batteries are designed for commercial applications and are housed in a rugged commercial grade enclosure to withstand harsh environments.

Proterra battery systems are used in electric school buses, coaches, delivery vans and low-floor shuttles.

All Proterra batteries undergo rigorous testing under the harshest conditions, including extreme heat, cold, water immersion, vibration and impact, Proterra said.

The company’s “Proterra Powered” electric vehicle conversions leverage Proterra’s electric vehicle technology and expertise to help commercial vehicle manufacturers electrify their vehicles. Proterra has worked with automakers Daimler and Van Hool to introduce fully electric vehicles that provide clean, quiet transportation.

To date, Proterra Powered has helped world-class OEMs like Thomas Built Bus, best known for its familiar yellow school buses, as well as Belgian bus maker Van Hool introduce 100% battery-electric vehicles powered by the technology. Proterra electric vehicles.

Proterra batteries have patented passive and active safety features, including liquid thermal conditioning. In the rare event of a battery cell failure, any localized thermal event is completely isolated and will not propagate to neighboring battery cells.

All Proterra batteries are rigorously tested to ensure they can withstand a full life under the harshest conditions, including extreme heat, cold, water immersion, vibrations and impacts, the company said.

Proterra’s electric commercial vehicles have become one of the most popular electric vehicles on the road in North America. In 2018, Proterra shipped more battery-powered electric buses to North America than any other manufacturer, including the Chinese electric vehicle maker. BYD, a company that also manufactures electric buses. To date, Proterra has supplied hundreds of electric transit buses to US cities, including Los Angeles, as an alternative to heavily polluting and noisy diesel buses.

The company said it has sold more than 950 electric buses to 120 communities in 43 US states and Canadian provinces. Proterra also intends to expand its business to include zero-emission electric school buses.

In 2017, Proterra has won a world record for the autonomy of electric vehicles when one of its all-electric Catalyst E2 buses covered 1,101 miles on a test track on a single charge.