Proterra Upgrades Safety Of Vehicles With Collision-Avoidance Technology

Proterra, a Greenville-based electric bus manufacturer, will now feature a technology designed to anticipate possible collisions with any roadway obstacle including other vehicles, pedestrians, animals, or debris, according to a release issued by Mobileye Aftermarket, a division of Mobileye N.V.

The Mobileye Aftermarket system provides collision prevention and mitigation by warning drivers of potential incidents. In addition to the forward collision warning, the Mobileye Aftermarket system also offers pedestrian and cyclist detection, which is critical in urban environments, headway monitoring to avoid tailgating, lane departure warning to help avoid drifting, and speed limit indication.

Proterra CEO, Ryan Popple, said improving road safety for their customers and their communities is central to enhancing the performance of the company’s vehicles.

“Enhanced features like the Mobileye Aftermarket system provide drivers with a valuable tool to help mitigate accidents, which is critical for a bus full of passengers,” he said.

The Greenville bus manufacturer is expected to offer factory installation of the aftermarket collision avoidance solution in its 2016 models.

According to the release, safety benefits of collision avoidance systems like Mobileye Aftermarket have been proven to reduce collisions and the injuries and fatalities involved.

The Mobileye Aftermarket system acts as an added layer of protection for Proterra’s drivers, said Michael Backman, General Manager, Mobileye Aftermarket USA.

“Mobileye is proven to improve driver behavior, leading to a lower risk of collisions and generating savings in operational costs,” he said.

This factory-installed option integrates the Mobileye Aftermarket system with the OEM LCD cluster in the dashboard, providing clear visibility for the driver, and maintaining the integrity of the dash. Tactile feedback will also be integrated into the OEM steering wheel.