Motor Coach Industries (MCI) announced that it has delivered its first battery-electric J4500 coaches in North America, with two battery-electric, zero-emission J4500 CHARGE 45-foot coaches going to a California Bay Area operator, according to the agency's news release.

The battery-electric, zero-emission coaches feature interiors with legroom and will complement clean-diesel models in the California Bay Area employee shuttle market.

“MCI is proud to deliver our first battery-electric J4500 CHARGE coaches to the Bay Area employee shuttle market,” said Brent Maitland, VP of sales and marketing at MCI. “This growing market continues to advance employee transportation, making commuter shuttle service even more environmentally friendly, inviting, and comfortable. The employee shuttle market is an excellent application for MCI's EVs as their range covers the length of the shuttle service routes and does not require a large amount of baggage bay space. MCI has rigorously tested the J4500 CHARGE coach for this business segment throughout the location in the US and Canada to ensure its high performance for our customers.”

Introduced in 2021, the J4500 CHARGE is a zero-emission version of the J series tour and charter luxury coach.

Powered by American-made, high-energy batteries, the J4500 CHARGE leverages EV technology from New Flyer and delivers a range of over 230 miles (544 kWh) on a single charge.