ENC unveiled ZAVIR, a new medium-duty vehicle brand for the shuttle and paratransit markets, at APTA EXPO 2026 in Chicago.

The first ZAVIR concept is a ground-up shuttle, not a passenger body adapted to a conventional van or cutaway chassis. ENC said the vehicle architecture, electric drive, accessibility features, and interior were designed together from the beginning.

“For fifty years, ENC has built heavy-duty buses that agencies count on. ZAVIR is how we put that experience to work in new segments and give the market more of what it is asking for,” said Jason Lee, CEO of ENC. “This concept vehicle is an early look at where we are headed.”

Two Configurations Target Different Transit Needs

ENC showed both low-floor and high-floor versions of the ZAVIR concept at APTA. Both are 22 feet long and 8 feet wide, with seating for up to 18 passengers plus standees. Wheelchair access is provided through a lift or ramp.

The company plans to offer two propulsion options. A battery-electric version has a targeted range of approximately 150 miles and supports DC fast charging at up to 200 kW. A range-extended electric version pairs the electric drivetrain with a gasoline generator and targets more than 450 miles of total range for applications including longer routes and cold-weather operations.

“Shuttle and paratransit operators have spent years adapting vehicles that were never designed for their routes,” said Thomas Allen, vice president of shuttle sales at ENC. “The ZAVIR concept vehicle we are showing at APTA is our answer: a shuttle engineered from the ground up and designed for real-world budgets, around the people who ride it, drive it, and keep it running.”

ENC Targets 2028 Commercial Launch

ZAVIR expands ENC beyond its established heavy-duty transit bus business into the medium-duty market. The company said the planned lineup will include different seating configurations as well as battery-electric and range-extended electric propulsion.

The vehicle on display at APTA remains a concept, and its specifications and development timeline are not final. ENC anticipates completing Federal Transit Administration bus testing at the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center in 2027, opening reservations in late 2027, and beginning commercial production at its Jurupa Valley, California, facility in 2028. The company noted that those targets could change as development continues.

APTA TRANSform & EXPO attendees can see the ZAVIR concept at Booth 1006, where ENC is also displaying vehicles from its AXESS lineup.