The first mask prototypes using Cummins’ donated media were assembled by University of Minnesota teams in March as part of an initiative to provide masks to healthcare systems in the region.
The vehicles are replacing older models that significantly surpassed their 12-year useful life.
MTS adding 24 D4500s, while RTS adds Xcelsior battery-electric buses.
Two of the longest-running brands collaborate to bring to market a new 40-foot bus with a 444 kWh battery capacity and an estimated 150-mile range.
Developed by Ford, the community-centered initiative will explore a city’s transportation needs and then collaborate on new solutions.
TriMet’s Ed Bennett and Votran’s Rick Kazawitch took home this year’s Maintenance Director of the Year Awards at BusCon 2019 in Indianapolis.
The project includes either a rebuilt Cummins ISC 8.3 engine or a Detroit Series 50 EGR engine.
Operators also had the chance to test ride the latest J-Series models, which now includes the 45-foot J4500 and the smaller 35-foot J3500.
The collaborative experiment, called Leaper X, includes a web-based mobile application and a small trial fleet of designated shuttles.
The delivery is the first step toward the agency’s goal to have a completely zero-emission fleet by 2030.