In South Carolina, we produce some pretty remarkable things. From premium automobiles to wide-body commercial aircraft, the Palmetto State is a leader in advanced manufacturing. We have six original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) operating within our borders, and each of them is committed to being on the cutting edge of their respective industries. Included among those is Proterra, an electric vehicle (EV) bus manufacturer located in Greenville County.
In operation since 2011, the company’s South Carolina factory produced more than 30 buses last year, and, given widespread EV bus transit adoption in communities across the U.S., that number will only increase moving forward. Earlier this month, the City of Clemson announced that it would be purchasing 11 Proterra buses for its CATbus fleet; and, last week, the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority announced that it had selected Proterra to deliver North Carolina’s first electric airport passenger bus fleet. Looking ahead, it’s clear that Proterra and our five other OEMs will help South Carolina retain its status as a leader in advanced manufacturing.