Plug-in bus ready to roll

GREENVILLE, SC (AP):

The first electric bus built by a Colorado firm at a South Carolina plant is ready to roll off the assembly line and be introduced to the community, a company official said recently.

"It's a 12-week process, and production time will be about a third of that by the end of the year," said Proterra president and chief executive officer Jeff Granato.

The 35-foot, black-and-white vehicle that is powered by battery will be shown off at a ceremony at the firm's temporary plant in Greenville, Granato said in a telephone interview.

"We're putting 'Made in Greenville' at the top of it," Granato said.

The bus seats 37, but can handle 68 passengers with some standing. It can operate on an inner-city route for a daylong shift and can reach up to 75 mph. It can be recharged within 10 minutes, he said.

"It's a real smooth ride as well," Granato said.

Hybrid- and battery-powered

Proterra LLC, headquartered in Golden, Colorado, was founded in 2004 and makes hybrid- and battery-powered buses for mass transit.

Granato said the firm expects to start work on its new South Carolina assembly plant in the spring and could make up to 1,500 buses by 2015. The 220,000 square-foot plant will be located at the International Center for Automotive Research on the Clemson University campus.

Granato said the firm is working with local technical schools to help train workers, and is also hiring engineers and administrators for its staff.

At present, 115 people work in its temporary quarters. The firm anticipates hiring up to 400 more in 2011, Granato said.