The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has placed an order for a new all-electric shuttle bus powered by Motiv Power Systems’ All-Electric Powertrain. This zero-emission bus is the first Motiv-powered shuttle bus to operate on a university campus.

Developed in partnership with Commercial Fleet Financing, the shuttle bus is projected to be delivered in early 2018. The shuttle bus will transport students, patients, and campus visitors between the UCLA Santa Monica and UCLA Westwood health facilities.

The cost of the shuttle was funded in part by the California Air Resource Board's Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). The HVIP grant allowed the purchase of the batteries and electric powertrain, providing UCLA a zero-emission shuttle for the same cost as its fossil fuel counterparts.
UCLA’s shuttle bus will be equipped with a wheelchair lift, space for two wheelchairs, WiFi connectivity and bicycle racks on the outside of the vehicle.

Built on Ford’s E450 chassis with a Champion Bus body, the shuttle bus will offer a maximum capacity of 20 passengers, a range of up to 90 miles on a single charge, a 75% charge time of four hours, and a top speed of 60 miles per hour.

As the only Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier-approved provider of all-electric powertrains for commercial trucks and buses, the Motiv All-Electric Powertrain works with a wide range of batteries, motors and chassis. This flexibility allows fleets to purchase vehicles which are optimized for their specific range, payload, and route requirements without compromising performance.

Motiv’s Powertrain installs on standard truck or bus chassis such that  minimal modification to the body and final vehicle design is required and fleets can continue to purchase through their existing providers. The Motiv All-Electric Powertrain also includes universal charging compatibility and secure remote telematics and diagnostics.

In addition to university campuses, shuttle buses equipped with Motiv’s All-Electric Powertrain are ideally suited for corporate, paratransit, parking and other commercial applications. The first set of Motiv-powered shuttle buses were placed in operation for the City of Mountain View, Calif. in 2015. The six buses are free to the public and transport residents and visitors through the city between neighborhoods, shopping centers, medical complexes, city facilities and recreation areas.