Biz Briefs: Steamship Authority, Vicinity, and More

Steamship Authority, Vicinity Motor Corp., Wabtec Bus Solutions, and Papercast recently announced news from their respective companies.

Steamship Authority Electrifies Fleet with BYD

The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamship Authority received its first three battery-electric buses from BYD | RIDE. 

The milestone was commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its administrative office in Falmouth, according to BYD’s news release.

“We are proud to partner with the Steamship Authority and are committed to providing them with reliable and eco-friendly solutions,” said Patrick Duan, Sr. vice president of BYD | RIDE. “The addition of the K9M buses will further enhance the environment and the surrounding communities by providing clean, zero-emission transportation.”

Steamship Authority will use the buses to provide transportation from offsite parking lots to the mainland ferry terminals in Hyannis and Woods Hole. 

The 40-foot K9M bus has a seating capacity of up to 37 passengers.

Vicinity Receives Order from the Village of New Square

Vicinity Motor Corp. announced the receipt of a new purchase order from the Village of New Square, New York for four Vicinity Classic buses.

Per the terms of the supply agreement, the Village of New Square has ordered four of the Company's 32-foot Clean-Diesel Vicinity Classic buses for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2023. 

The Vicinity buses will service New Square, a village north of New York City, providing enhanced mobility solutions through the low-floor design - which includes an automatic personal mobility aid access ramp for wheelchairs.

"We continue to leverage the market leadership position of our Classic bus line as a foundational building block of our revenue mix," said William Trainer, founder and CEO of Vicinity. "In addition, we view our Vicinity Classic line as an opening partnership with communities that could evolve into EV sales in the future.”

Wabtec Introduces VaporVision Door Sensing, Monitoring System

Wabtec Bus Solutions recently introduced the new VaporVision door sensing and monitoring system featuring detection technology.

VaporVision enhanced sensing and monitoring detects movement and obstructions to reduce dwell time, optimize door operation, and passenger protection. 

Powered by AI-based deep learning, the VaporVision camera provides 180-degree coverage to recognize exiting passengers and hold doors open. 

This single smart camera replaces multiple ultrasonic and infrared sensors, mechanical push buttons, tape switches, touch bars, and light beams. 

The VaporVision system reduces maintenance with enhanced operational efficiency customized to the needs of the bus manufacturer or transit agency.

The VaporVision system features detection areas over a live video feed, view videos, and configure unique recording triggers using the Vapor Live Utility.

Papercast Launches New Products

Papercast announced the launch of two new products: a 13-inch battery-powered flag and compact displays.

Papercast’s latest product is engineered to meet the specific needs of bus stop flags in North America and Europe.

At the heart of the product is Papercast’s in-house developed advanced e-paper driver circuit board.

Papercast’s 13-inch battery-powered display integrates with the Papercast Content Management System.