Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

University already operates 38 conventional Transit Connect vans. The university has other electric, hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles in its service fleet.

Office will support its sales and marketing efforts for the new all-electric Ford Transit Connect, which is scheduled for European production in June, 2011.

The contract was managed by American Bus & Coach in Trenton, N.J. Goshen Coach in Elkhart, Ind., built the bodies for the buses.

CALSTART, Sacramento Regional Transit District, TriMet and the Utah Transit Authority were among the agencies that ordered the Balance Hybrid Electric shuttle buses.

StarTrans Bus provided the 22-foot shuttle bus bodies with a capacity of up to 12 seated passengers plus two wheelchair positions.

Terre Haute Transit selected the vehicles in part for the environmental benefits. MidWest Transit Equipment managed the sale.

The 23-foot gasoline-electric hybrid buses are part of a national pilot program to speed commercialization of these fuel-saving vehicles, which are expected to yield 30 percent to 40 percent reductions in fuel use, with an accompanying 30 percent reduction in emissions.

Test qualifies Ford E-450 shuttle buses, built with the Balance Hybrid Electric drive train system, for FTA programs of up to 80 percent funding when purchased by public transit agencies.