Cummins Partnering on Electric Buses
(Image courtesy of Cummins Inc.)
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowColumbus-based Cummins (NYSE: CMI) has announced a partnership with California-based heavy-duty transit bus manufacturer GILLIG LLC. Cummins says the collaboration will focus on the integration of its new battery electric technology to power GILLIG’s zero-emission buses.
The initial development work suggests the new bus could have a 200-mile operating range on a single charge. The first buses produced through this partnership will use a plug-in charger and Cummins’ battery system will also power a package of e-accessories.
"Beyond the technical development work, the partnership will also encompass the full range of 24/7 service support, diagnostics, over-the-air connectivity, flexible warranty plans and training programs ready for when these GILLIG electric buses enter service," said Amy Boerger, vice president of sales North America for Cummins.
Boerger and GILLIG President Derek Manus announced the partnership Monday at the APTA public transportation show in Atlanta.
"GILLIG has a very strong business relationship with Cummins — and now, with our new technical partnership, we have been able to share our respective technology roadmaps and jointly develop a vision to deliver the most comprehensive, advanced technology battery electric bus in the market for our customers," said Maunus. "We have leveraged our companies’ decades of heavy duty transit experience in the design of the system, and will integrate this advanced technology into GILLIG’s industry leading proven platform."
Cummins says it currently powers several varieties of GILLIG buses with clean-diesel, near-zero natural gas and diesel-hybrid power.