All Electric Transit coming soon to Seneca

The country’s first all-electric bus fleet is scheduled to arrive in the City of Seneca this spring but an exact date is still unknown.  This week, Seneca City Administrator Greg Dietterick is in Greenville meeting with officials from Southern Company about the new Proterra buses.  Proterra, the leading maker of zero-emission commercial transit solutions is manufacturing the city’s next generation of transit buses.  Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander gives details.  “Not a definite date yet.  That is one thing that City Administrator Greg Dietterick is doing this week.  He is meeting with Southern Company; we have to get the super chargers, the things that have to be in place where the buses actually charge.  Things are still moving forward with that project coming together.  Proterra made some modifications on their buses and they are making sure all that is working.” After modifying the design of their all-electric buses, Proterra was forced to resubmit those changes to the Federal Transit Administration.  Last year, Seneca received one of 46 awards and received a TIGGER or Transit Investments in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction grant from the Federal Transit Administration for approximately $4.1 million.  The City is using these funds to replace Seneca’s current diesel buses with 35-foot, fast charge battery electric buses built locally by Proterra in Greenville.