Oak Park-based Azure Dynamics Corp. (TSX: AZD) said Thursday that it had won a contract to supply 16 of its Balance hybrid electric buses to the Hybrid Truck Users Forum's Small Hybrid Bus Working Group.
The working group is a joint program between Pasadena, Calif.-based CALSTART Inc., a nonprofit clean transportation research organization, and the United States Army Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center's National Automotive Center in Warren.
HTUF works to encourage further commercialization of hybrid drivelines and benefits from the participation of more than 80 fleets representing roughly one million trucks and buses. Azure Dynamics partnered with bus body builder StarTrans Bus, a Supreme Indiana Operations Inc. company, on the bid.
"The consolidated vehicle bid incorporated a significant number of vehicle specifications and performance attributes for a wide range of end user customers," said Jay Sandler, Azure's vice president of sales. "The fact that Azure Dynamics Balance hybrid technology coupled with the StarTrans body was able to meet these diverse considerations and earn the bid serves to validate our product's ability to achieve performance, cost and environmental benchmarks."
The Small Hybrid Bus Working Group includes the Missouri Department of Transportation, which served as the lead agency for the procurement; the city of Aspen, Colo.; the city of White Plains, N.Y.; Harvard University; Marin County Transit, San Rafael, Calif.; Sacramento Regional Transit, Sacramento, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Tahoe Transportation District, Stateline, Nev.; and TriMet Transportation District, Portland, Ore.
The 16 vehicles included in the purchase are 23-foot, gasoline-powered hybrid electric cutaway buses using Azure's Balance Hybrid Electric powertrain on the Ford E450 chassis. The StarTrans Senator Bus body has a passenger capacity of 14 riders, including two wheelchair positions. The buses meet the FTA "Altoona" durability testing protocols for seven years or 200,000 miles service life and are American with Disability Act compliant.
Azure Dynamics has had previous successes with StarTrans Bus, including the development and manufacture of Azure's CitiBus, the HD Senator, a Hybrid Electric shuttle bus.
"We are very excited to work with CALSTART, Azure Dynamics and the impressive roster of end user customers who will be procuring buses through this contract," said Sam Craig, vice president of sales for StarTrans. "We look forward to putting cleaner, efficient buses on the road."
Some of the vehicle specifications and performance attributes that helped Azure's Balance Hybrid Electric earn the Small Hybrid Bus Working Group business include: engine-off at idle and at below 20 miles per hour; electronic support of key ancillary functions like air conditioning, power steering and braking; substantial fuel economy improvement; a reduction of carbon emissions by up to 30 percent; a reduction in maintenance costs versus conventionally equipped vehicles. The buses selected are ADA compliant and have completed rigorous durability testing at the federal facility in Altoona, Pa.
"This is a great opportunity for Azure to work with a team of organizations that are central in advancing alternative technologies in the United States and beyond," said Scott Harrison, Azure CEO. "Between CALSTART, HTUF, U.S. Army TARDEC's National Automotive Center and the long list of customers, all of whom are conscientious fleet managers, we are setting the stage for additional collaborative efforts. We look forward to helping these new customers achieve considerable cost and environmental benefits."
More at www.azuredynamics.com.
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