Proterra Catalyst BE40

The **Proterra Catalyst** is the company's second generation battery electric low floor transit bus. It was first launched as the 40-foot Catalyst BE40 at the 2014 APTA Bus and Paratransit Conference in Kansas City. Foothill Transit, the launch customer for the first generation bus, was the first to order the latest generation bus.

The Catalyst uses a monocoque structure composed of E-glass fibre stitched non-crimp fabric and unidirectional carbon fibre in a vinyl ester resin. It is moulded using the Seeman Composites Resin Infusion Molding Process (SCRIMP), a vacuum-assisted closed infusion molding method, by TPI Composites. A gel-coat layer is first placed in the mould followed by triaxl glass fibre fabic. Unidirectional carbon fibre fabric is used to add strength at key areas. Quadriaxial quasi-isotropic glass fibre fabric is used where strength and stiffness are especially critical. The materials are vacuum bagged and infused with catalyzed vinyl ester resin. The resulting compsoite structure is lightweight and can absorb a large amount of energy in a collision.

The upper body from the roof down to the lower window line, which includes the entire windshield and rear window, is on section. The lower body from the lower window line to the floor is another. The upper section of the roof and the ceiling are glass fibre sandwich structures with a balsa wood core. Components such as doors and interior fittings are attached by either molding stainless steel inserts into the laminate or by bonding.

For the 2019 model year forward, the roofline towards the rear was reshaped. In addition, the vent above the rear window was no longer separated into three sections. An option that was first noted on the buses for the Toronto Transit Commission, is a rear window that can open for emergency egress.

The Catalyst can travel up to 55 miles before the standard fast charge (FC) batteries, now lithium–titanate instead of lithium-ion, need to be recharged. In February 2015, Proterra introduced an extended range (XR) option that allows the bus to travel up to 180 miles between charges. A year later, Proterra introduced an enhanced XR battery that holds 28 percent more energy at 330 kWh, allowing the bus to travel up to 193 miles. At the 2016 American Public Transit Association (APTA) Annual Meeting, Proterra unveiled their E2 (Efficient Energy) battery option with a capacity of 440 to 660 kWh that allows the bus to travel between 194 and 350 miles. This range is able to meet a full day's worth of service for some agencies.

At the 2017 American Public Transit Association EXPO in Atlanta, Proterra introduced their DuoPower drivetrain. It integrates two 190 kWh electric motors and two-speed transmission into a planetary axle from AxleTech. It boasts almost twice the horsepower as the standard ProDrive drivetrain and is five times more efficient than a standard diesel bus. With the DuoPower drivetrain, the Catalyst E2 max has a nominal range of 426 miles.

The bus's batteries can be charged enroute with a proprietary overhead charging station, which features automatic docking. The standard FC option can be fully charged in ten minutes, while the XR option can be fully charged in approximately one hour. The bus can also be plugged in using a J1772 CCS charger at the garage. The E2 is only charged this way while the bus is out of service, typically when it is parked overnight, at the garage and is fully charged in three to five hours. In May 2018, to improve interoperability with other battery-electric buses, Proterra introduced compatibility with the SAE J3105 (OppCharge) overhead charging standard.  The roof rails to accommodate OppCharge charging are mounted on the roof near the front of the bus on trapezoidal blisters.

In 2020, Proterra restyled their line of battery-electric buses. The roofline was made more streamlined with provision for room-mounted battery packs, and additionally, integrated Oppcharge charging rails at the front of the bus. The tail light clusters on the 40ft vehicle were updated to the same design as used on the 35ft vehicle. The vehicle styling was made more angular with a flatter front end, and a recess was added under the windshield. The rated power of the powertrain options have also been increased. Edmonton Transit System was the launch customer for the redesigned vehicle. The redesigned buses were formally launched as the ZX5 on September 15, 2020.

## Other Photos

40ft Catalyst with ProDrive drivetrain; rooftop charging via Proterra's proprietary system40ft Catalyst with DuoPower drivetrain; rooftop charging via Proterra's proprietary system40ft Catalyst with ProDrive drivetrain; no rooftop charging provisions40ft Catalyst with DuoPower drivetrain; rooftop charging via OppCharge
## Demonstrator and engineering units

Below is a list of known demonstrator and engineering buses.

## Operators

### Canada

* Roam - Banff Region, AB **(on order)**
* Toronto Transit Commission - Toronto, ON

### United States

* Alabama A&M University - Huntsville, AL
* Arvin Transit - Arvin, CA
* Baltimore Gas Electric - Baltimore, MD
* Clemson Area Transit - Clemson, SC
* Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) - Chicago, IL **(on order)**
* Citibus - Lubbock, TX
* DC Circulator - Washington, DC
* Duke University Transit - Durham, NC **(on order)**
* Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) - Duluth, MN
* Everett Transit - Everett, WA
* Foothill Transit - San Gabriel & Pomona Valleys, CA
* GoRaleigh - Raleigh, NC **(on order)**
* Green Mountain Transit Authority - Burlington, VT **(on order)**
* Greenlink Transit - Greenville, SC
* Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) - Greensboro, NC
* Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) - Humboldt County, CA
* JTB Hawaii - Honolulu, HI
* King County Metro Transit - Seattle, WA
* LexTran - Lexington, KY
* MetroLINK - Rock Island, IL
* Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) - New York City, NY
* Modesto Area Express - Modesto, CA
* New Jersey Transit - Newark, NJ **(on order)**
* Park City Transit - Park City, UT
* Pierce Transit - Pierce County, WA
* Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) - Springfield, MA
* Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - New York, NY
* Sacramento International Airport - Sacramento, CA
* Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority - Morrisville, NC
* San Francisco Airport - San Francisco, CA
* San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) - Stockton, CA
* San José International Airport (operated by Transdev - San José, CA
* San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) - San Mateo County, CA
* Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) - Philadelphia, PA
* Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority - San Jose & Santa Clara County, CA
* SporTran - Shreveport, LA
* The Fleet (leased by JLL, operated by SP+ Transportation) - Chicago, IL
* Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) - Ithaca & Tompkins County, NY **(on order)**
* Transit Authority of River City (TARC) - Louisville, KY
* Tri Delta Transit - Eastern Contra Costa County, CA
* University of Georgia Campus Transit - Athens, GA **(on order)**
* University of Montana UDASH - Missoula, MT
* Visalia Transit - Visalia, CA
* Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) - Worcester, MA
* Yolo County Transportation District - Woodland, CA
* Yosemite Valley Shuttle (operated by Aramark) - Yosemite National Park, CA
* Zion National Park Shuttle (operated by RATP Dev) - Springdale, UT

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dawson, Donna. "A clean technology for clean, zero-emissions buses." CompositesWorld, 01 October 2018.
2. ↑ Proterra Catalyst® E2 Series Sets New Industry Precedent with a Nominal Range of up to 350 Miles. Press release. 12 September 2016. Protera, Inc. Retrieved on 16 November 2016.
3. ↑ Proterra Introduces the DuoPower™ Drivetrain for its Catalyst® Zero-Emission Buses at APTA. Press release. 09 October 2017. Proterra.
4. ↑ Proterra, bus maker, aims to follow Tesla model. Retrieved on 02 September 2014.
5. ↑ Proterra Introduces Extended-Range Electric Bus, Flexible Battery System. Press release. 24 February 2016. Protera, Inc. Retrieved on 16 November 2016.
6. ↑ Proterra Switches To SAE J3105 Standard For Overhead Charging. Press release. 20 May 2018. InsideEVs.
7. ↑ ZX5 Electric Bus. Retrieved on September 15, 2020
8. ↑ Proterra Unveils the Proterra® ZX5 Next-Generation Battery-Electric Transit Vehicle. Retrieved September 15, 2020