Almost four years ago to the day, Foothill Transit became the first public transit agency to put fast-charge electric buses into service. The Foothill Transit Ecoliner, manufactured by Proterra LLC in Greenville, SC, is a lightweight, 35-foot transit vehicle. It features a 30-mile (48 km) range without charging; it can recharge, hands free and in-route, in 10 minutes. This Ecoliner was the first of its kind in the US and now, with to the purchase of 12 more buses from Proterra LLC, the agency’s Line 291, which travels between the cities of Pomona and La Verne, will carry passengers exclusively with these vehicles.

The project was entirely funded through a Transit Investment in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) II grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Foothill Transit’s Line 291 travels 17 miles (27 km) between La Verne and Pomona and recharges its buses in route at the Pomona Transit Center at a drive-in docking station. The 10-minute charging time is possible thanks to specially designed lithium titanate batteries.

Foothill Transit will also showcase Proterra’s new 40-foot, V2 electric bus at the launch. Foothill Transit became the first public transit agency in the nation to purchase the new V2. Delivery is expected in early 2015. The agency is exploring expansion of electric bus service to neighboring communties.