Grande West Transportation Group Inc. announced it has engaged with LION Smart GmbH to integrate BMW technology as its electric vehicle solution.

The company is launching its new purpose-built Vicinity LT EV bus in the fourth quarter of 2020 and partnering with LION Smart engineering services for development and integration of the power management system. The contract between Grande West and LION Smart includes engineering services covering software, mechanical and electrical adaptation, battery management, and the integration of 400V BMW battery packs into the Vicinity LT EV. As part of this contract, LION Smart is carrying out high-tech work of integrating the BMW battery pack solution.

The demonstration Vicinity LT EV is scheduled for delivery to Grande West in Q1 2021. After successful completion of the development project, subsequent orders for the supply of battery packs in significant quantities are possible for 2021.

The BMW high voltage batteries developed for the BMW i3 will be used for the Vicinity LT EV. The BMW i batteries are a proven EV solution in many applications other than just the i3, with over 100,000 BMW i battery packs sold worldwide.