How an electric bus made it from California to Seattle and back using public chargers

Will Gendron Feb. 23, 2022 Tech The bus in question was a Van Hool CX45E and emphasized the capabilities of battery-electric transportation. Proterra

The Van Hool CX45E, an electric coach bus that was first imported to the U.S. in late 2020, was able to make a journey from Newark, California, to Seattle, Washington and then back again, using only publicly available fast chargers. ABC Companies

1,700 mi The amount of miles covered during the West Coast journey Ars Technica ABC Companies

Here’s the exact coach that embarked on the trip ABC Companies

The voyage was organized by MTRWestern, a coach-bus operator and ABC Companies, the U.S. importer for Van Hool coaches — it was intended to emphasize the untapped potential of electric transportation. Ars Technica Van Hool

280 The average amount of miles covered between charging stops Ars Technica Van Hool

In some instances the CX45E was able to make it nearly 300 miles before needing to charge. ABC Companies

55 mph The average speed reached during the trip. Ars Technica ABC Companies

Throughout the trip 3.4 MWh of electricity was used — which comes out to half a mile/kWh. A comparable trip by a diesel coach would use 262 gallons of fuel according to ABC Companies Ars Technica ABC Companies

Charging times took between 2.5 to 3 hours each stop, with no stretch of the trip using more than 65 percent of the total charge. ABC Companies

For those of you that want to learn more about the CX45E, you can find all the specifications here . ABC Companies

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