Exro, Vicinity Close Deal to Make Electric Buses Accessible

Exro Technologies Inc. announced today that it has reached an agreement for up to 2,500 units with electric bus manufacturer Vicinity Motor Corp. (Vicinity). 

The Vicinity Lightning is a purpose-built electric bus that uses sustainable and affordable components. Vicinity will be able to produce more than 1,000 electric vehicle (EV) units annually from its facilities in Ferndale, Washington and Aldergrove, British Columbia. 

“We’re pleased to advance our partnership with Exro, a leader in the space for e-mobility power electronics,” said William Trainer, founder/CEO of Vicinity Motor Corp. “I look forward to working closely with Exro’s talented team of engineers to make our electric buses, equipped with their intelligent power optimization systems, synonymous with North American public transit.” 

Under this multiyear sales and service agreement, Vicinity will purchase high-voltage Coil Drive System units from Exro, along with a production slot, system pricing, and commissioning services. Exro’s Vehicle Systems division will provide system engineering consulting services to integrate the electric powertrain for Vicinity’s fleet of electric buses.

Over the 36-month term of the agreement, Exro will plan to deliver an increasing volume of its Coil Drive System for up to 2,500 units that includes both a Coil Driver and an electric motor.

Coil Driver units will be manufactured at Exro’s manufacturing facility in Calgary.

Exro will also support the development of Vicinity’s electric motor chassis for Class 5/6 bus configurations and provide engineering services to enable AC fast-charging using Coil Driver.

“Exro is thrilled to partner with Vicinity, with its strong foothold in the Canadian bus market, to bring affordable electric buses to North American cities,” said Sue Ozdemir, CEO of Exro Technologies. “Our work with Vicinity demonstrates our ability to customize and scale our Coil Drive System to meet heavy-duty bus requirements and meet net-zero manufacturing requirements with our world-class Calgary facility. Together with Vicinity we’re optimizing government investments in zero-emissions transportation, providing electric buses that perform better and last longer even in the toughest weather conditions.”