Proterra Introduces 738 kWh Battery Packs For ZX5 Buses

The driving range of the vehicle is estimated at more than 300 miles (483 km) on a single charge.

Proterra Introduces ZX5 Electric Bus with 738 Kilowatt Hours of Energy

Mark Kane

By: Mark Kane

Apr 18, 2022 at 8:28am ET

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Proterra announced that it is increasing the amount of maximum battery capacity in its Proterra ZX5 electric buses to further improve the driving range.

The company says that starting in 2023, the 40-foot Proterra ZX5 Max transit bus model will get a 738 kWh battery option, which will be the highest value in its segment in the North American market.

According to the press release, the driving range is estimated to exceed 300 miles (483 km), but it varies depending on route conditions, configuration and operation.

Previously, the ZX5 Max was available with a 675 kWh battery and a driving range of up to 221-329 miles (356-529 km), so the increase is quite noticeable at 63 kWh or 9.3%.

Not only has the top battery configuration been upgraded. The middle battery size (available for 35-foot and ZX5 40-foot buses) also got a boost from 450 kWh to 492 kWh, which is 42 kWh or 9.3% more. The outgoing 450 kWh battery version was rated at 172-240 miles (277-386 km) of range.

A gradual increase in battery capacity is not a new thing for Proterra. The company offered a 660 kWh pack since about 2016, which later increased to 675 kWh and now 738 kWh.

"With more energy onboard combined with Proterra’s refined composite bus body design, the Proterra ZX5 is designed for optimal performance to tackle the toughest transit routes and extreme weather conditions, including cold weather climates."

Proterra is not only a bus manufacturer, but an EV solution provider - specifically related to batteries. The battery packs are produced in-house (also for multiple other OEMs), using LG Chem's LG Energy Solution battery cells - cylindrical format.

An image of an example battery module was recently shown in the Q4 2021 report.

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According to a presentation from April 2021 (page 19), the previous generation of Proterra batteries consisted of 1865-type cylindrical cells (the same form factor as in the Tesla Model S/Model X), while the new battery consists of 2170-type cylindrical cells (the same form factor as in some of the Tesla Model 3/Model Y, Rivian and Lucid vehicles).

See the outgoing 2022 Q2 specs of Proterra buses here:

Proterra ZX5 40-foot specs (2022 Q2)

Proterra ZX5 35-foot specs (2022 Q2)

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