Azure Dynamics Corporation, a leading developer of hybrid electric and electric powertrains for commercial and military vehicles, announced it has signed a definitive supply agreement for the production of hybrid shuttle buses with StarTrans, a business division of Supreme Corporation and one of North America's leading commercial bus manufacturers.
Under terms of the agreement, Azure will provide StarTrans with hybrid
cab-chassis on which StarTrans will assemble their shuttle bus body at
their manufacturing facilities in Goshen, Indiana. StarTrans intends to
utilize its HD Senator Series model line of shuttle buses. When fully
assembled, the Azure/StarTrans hybrid electric shuttle bus will be
compliant with the United States' Buy-America program and after successful
testing, would be eligible for the Federal Transit Administration's funding
for bus purchases.
"Our supply agreement with StarTrans represents a significant milestone
for Azure Dynamics as we focus on increasing our penetration in the North
American shuttle bus market. More than 10,000 shuttle buses are sold each
year in North America and with federal and state funded subsidization
programs available in the U.S. for shuttle bus operators that adopt
environmentally cleaner hybrid solutions, this sector represents a
compelling opportunity for both Azure and StarTrans," said Campbell Deacon, CEO of Azure Dynamics. "We are very pleased to have such a strong partner in StarTrans and we look forward to bringing a hybrid HD Senator Series shuttle bus to market."
"This hybrid electric shuttle bus will be the first available
commercially-produced unit," said Sam Craig, VP of Sales and Marketing of
StarTrans. "We have 38 distribution points around North America and we are exited about the potential for this product. We are looking forward to
working with Azure Dynamics to market the CitiBus."
Azure's hybrid shuttle bus cab-chassis utilizes the same G1 Series
hybrid delivery truck chassis currently in production and integrates
Azure's newly developed shuttle bus cab. Azure's hybrid systems offer
significant fuel and maintenance savings for shuttle bus operators. In
testing, Azure's hybrid delivery vans demonstrated nearly a 50% reduction
in fuel consumption on a mile per gallon basis in city driving, compared to
conventional chassis. Azure's hybrid chassis also significantly reduce
vehicular emissions, achieving reductions in hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide
and nitrogen oxide emissions of up to 83%, 91% and 53% respectively. Azure and StarTrans plan to jointly market the hybrid shuttle bus via the
StarTrans dealer and distributor network.