U.S. e-mobility and energy storage firm Proterra announced that Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) has become the first customer to utilize its integrated fleet and energy management software platform Valence.
DTC, the operator of DART Transit Services, has also received six new 35-foot Proterra ZX5 battery-electric buses, with another six buses expected to arrive soon. This deployment is part of DTC’s plan to reduce emissions from its transit fleet by 50 percent by 2030.
Proterra says that DTC lowered its fuel price nearly 24 percent in the first month after using the cloud-based energy management platform.
“We will continue to embrace advanced technology that will take our agency to the next level of vehicle transportation,” said John Sisson, CEO of DTC. “As DTC continues to further its commitment to zero-emission fleets, we’re glad to have Proterra as our partner to guide us through the process.”
As a state, Delaware's Climate Action Plan quantifies three sectors --transportation, industrial and electric power--as leading sources contributing a combined 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions since 1990.
According to Proterra, Valence is a cloud-based, software-as-a-service platform that supports commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleet deployments. It offers a suite of solutions to commercial EV fleet operators, including data analytics and reporting tools, vehicle and charger diagnostics, charger optimization and energy management.
The company adds that Valence is designed to improve the total cost of ownership for EV fleet operators by optimizing costs associated with EV charging through its smart energy management capabilities. Proterra’s Valence team works with customers to understand operational requirements and electricity rates to design optimized charging strategies.
One of the key strategies is demand charge reduction, which is implemented in Valence by reducing EV charging during peak electricity usage periods.
Headquartered in Burlingame, California, Proterra designs and manufactures zero-emission electric transit vehicles and EV technology solutions for commercial applications.
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