Azure Dynamics Corp. announced the sale of 10 Balance Hybrid Electric shuttle buses to New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) on behalf of six transit agencies within the state — Burlington County Transportation, Cumberland Area Transportation System, Mercer County TRADE, Middlesex County Area Transportation, South Jersey Transportation Authority and Somerset County Transportation — that will be used primarily in paratransit service.
Covering a service area of approximately 5,325 square miles, NJ Transit is the nation's third largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit, linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia and also administers several publicly funded transit programs for people with disabilities, senior citizens and people living in the state's rural areas who have no other means of transportation.
The Azure Balance Hybrid Electric Drivetrain is incorporated on a Ford E450 chassis and manages the conventional 5.4 liter Triton gasoline engine and the 5-speed automatic TorqShift transmission to produce a cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicle. Since most commercial vehicle fleets spend approximately 50 percent of their total operational costs in fuel, the Balance Hybrid Electric's ability to improve economy by up to 40 percent provides demonstrable financial return.
Additionally, the vehicle reduces maintenance cost by up to 30 percent while typically reducing vehicle maintenance time and cost, providing opportunity for more revenue-producing trips.
The contract was managed by American Bus & Coach in Trenton, N.J. Goshen Coach in Elkhart, Ind., built the bodies for the buses.