As part of this deal, Proterra has also inked an agreement with Daimler for electrification of select heavy-duty vehicles which marks a notable one for the startup as Daimler’s ecosystem counts as a very large one and advantageous addition for the company.

The first of the electrification effort will be centered on exploration of potential collaboration with Daimler’s Thomas Built Buses division through an integration of Proterra’s proven battery and drivetrain technologies for the North American school bus market.

Proterra

The School Bus scene stand as a unique and promising frontier for zero-emission, commercial fleets with its offering of mission-critical community infrastructure being an exceptional use case for vehicle electrification.

Most school buses travel on daily distances well within Proterra’s EV tech capability which offers an advantage for this collaboration between both firms aimed at producing reliable and affordable transportation options with environmentally sustainable and zero-emission EV technology.

Proterra

Daimler’s deep experience in the automobile market will provide with relevant experience for Proterra which has already sold over 675 of its EVs to leverage.

“We started working on electric trucks and buses at a very early stage, and we aim to set the standards here in each relevant segment. We expect the cooperation with Proterra to deliver additional impetus for the development of heavy-duty commercial vehicles with electric drive.” Daimler executive Martin Daum stated.

Proterra’s current customers include 40 different municipal, airport, university, federal and commercial transit agencies across 40 U.S. states and Canadian provinces marking good adaptation of the company’s products in its target market.

Proterra

“We are excited to collaborate with Daimler, and we appreciate their investment and support,” Ryan Popple, Proterra CEO stated. “Daimler is a global leader in vehicles that serve almost every category and market. Over the past year, we’ve gained a great deal of respect for the engineering prowess, operational expertise, and environmental stewardship of the Daimler team. We also appreciate the continued support of our existing investors who share our vision of clean, quiet transportation for all.”

Daimler and Tao Capital Partners now joins the list of notable Proterra investors which also includes the likes of BMW, Kleiner Perkins, General Motors, Edison Energy, 88 Green Ventures, VentureSouth and Vision Ridge Capital Partners.