Proterra, designer and manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), says that the Illinois Quad Cities’ MetroLINK transit organization will be purchasing two 40-foot Proterra XR electric buses this fall, with the option to purchase additional Proterra XR and FC buses through 2020, significantly expanding its ZEV fleet.
According to Proterra, which boasts 312 zero-emission buses sold to 35 different municipal, university and commercial customers across the country, this new procurement represents a joint effort with MetroLINK to minimize emissions, reduce traffic congestion and accelerate sustainable infrastructure development throughout the Illinois Quad Cities.
“At MetroLINK, we offer our riders the opportunity to make sustainable choices through public transit. These new battery-electric Proterra buses will not only provide an environmentally friendly service to our customers, they’ll also exemplify MetroLINK’s longstanding commitment to eco-conscious infrastructure adoption,” says Jeff Nelson, general manager at MetroLINK. “Sustainability is at the core of every decision we make at MetroLINK, and we’re more than excited to officially deploy our new electric buses in 2017.”
With an annual total ridership of 3.5 million, MetroLINK provides mass transit services to Illinois citizens throughout the Illinois Quad Cities region, including Rock Island, Milan and Moline school children and Augustana, Black Hawk College and Western Illinois University students.
“With MetroLINK and other progressive agencies serving as models, the Midwest is quickly pivoting away from diesel and committing to sustainable mobility solutions that simply make economic and environmental sense, and Proterra is excited to help this region – and the country as a whole – speed into a clean energy future,” says Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra.
