As electric cars have become the norm for many, a number of electric buses have silently made their way onto US city streets as well.
Proterra, for instance, has now set a record for the most miles traveled by an electric bus in a day, according to Charged EVs.
As part of a test conducted last month, one of Proterra's plug-in buses traveled 700 miles in 24 hours, over a route designed to simulate both urban commuter and central business-district routes and drive cycles, according to Green Car Reports.
The bus was driven at an average 29 mph with the HVAC system running, and was charged periodically throughout the day using Proterra's own fast-charging stations.
Proterra says the bus averaged 27 MPGe, which it claims is six times that of a conventional diesel bus in comparable conditions, and seven times that of a compressed-natural gas (CNG) bus.
Proterra electric buses currently operate in San Antonio, Texas; Worcester, Massachusetts; Reno, Nevada; Pomona and Stockton California; and Tallahassee; Florida.