CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Oct 27, 2016) -  Proterra, the world's leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, and JLL (NYSE: JLL), the leading professional services firm specializing in real estate, today announced the first commercial agreement to provide commuter shuttle services via a fleet of electric buses. The service will operate between Chicago's commuter train stations and two of the city's tallest buildings, the iconic Prudential Plaza and Aon Center, both of which are managed by JLL. The lease of 10 Proterra Catalyst shuttle buses represents two important industry firsts: The shuttle service will be the first in the country to operate a 100 percent zero-emission electric bus fleet as well as one of the first commercial customers to lease electric buses. This zero-emission, corporate fleet also marks a notable step toward Chicago achieving its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

"Creating greener transportation options and cleaner air for all Chicagoans are key pillars of the City of Chicago's sustainability goals," Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said. "This zero-emission fleet is exactly the type of progress we intend to create through Drive Clean Chicago. We look forward to seeing how other fleets respond to the precedent this sets."

Funded in part by Drive Clean Chicago, JLL will lease the Proterra buses for its shuttle service for Prudential Plaza and Aon Center tenants commuting to and from the Ogilvie, Union and LaSalle Street commuter rail stations. Each building will lease five Proterra buses, demonstrating a new way for commercial customers to procure zero-emission transit solutions. The program will begin in December 2016.

"At Proterra, we are dedicated to ensuring every transit provider can seamlessly transition to a zero-emission fleet," said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. "By leasing the buses, Proterra customers can electrify their fleets with no out-of-pocket cost and total annual payments and costs equivalent to the total operating costs of a leased diesel bus. With this flexible financing solution, we're better able to scale our technology, serve new markets and further our goal of providing clean, quiet transportation to all."

The Proterra shuttle bus program demonstrates JLL's commitment to sustainability both in its managed buildings, such as Aon Center and Prudential Plaza, and its own operations. In 2015, JLL helped clients reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 12 million metric tons. Since 2007, it has helped clients save $3.3 billion in cumulative energy costs. JLL has also set targets to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in its own offices, setting ambitious goals to reduce building related greenhouse gas emissions per corporate office employee, building-related energy consumption per corporate office and rented area per corporate office employee by 2017.

"Increasingly, we're seeing tenants request more transit options to ease their commutes," said Bryan Oyster, Senior Vice President at JLL and General Manager of Prudential Plaza. "With Proterra's leasing option, we are able to provide a top-of-the-line shuttle service that meets tenants' commuting needs and Chicago's clean vehicle goals, while staying true to our own sustainability goals."

Aon Center, the fifth tallest building in the U.S., and Prudential Plaza are located in Chicago's East Loop and are home to prestigious tenant rosters, including KPMG, Microsoft and United Health Group. They are in close proximity to many of Chicago's premier cultural institutions including Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Goodman Theatre and Chicago Symphony Center.

About Proterra:
Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission vehicles that enable bus fleet operators to eliminate the dependency on fossil fuels and to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to the community. Proterra has sold more than 312 vehicles to 35 different municipal, university, and commercial transit agencies throughout North America. Proterra's configurable EV platform, battery and charging options make its buses well suited for a wide range of transit and campus routes. With unmatched durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. certification testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America, with offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina, and Los Angeles. For more information visit: http://www.proterra.com/ and follow us on Twitter @Proterra_Inc.

About JLL
 JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. A Fortune 500 company with annual fee revenue of $5.2 billion and gross revenue of $6.0 billion, JLL has more than 280 corporate offices, operates in more than 80 countries and has a global workforce of more than 60,000. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 4.0 billion square feet, or 372 million square meters, and completed $138 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2015. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $59.1 billion of real estate assets under management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.

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