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Fisher Coachworks Recipient of the Clean Transportation Technology Award


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TROY, Mich., Oct. 7, 2008 - Michigan’s first Clean Transportation Technology Innovation Award was presented to Fisher Coachworks on September 24, 2008, at the inaugural Michigan Clean Transportation 2008 Expo & Awards Gala held in Novi, Michigan. This landmark event was co-sponsored by NextEnergy, the Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities Coalition and the Clean Energy Coalition, with the objective of encouraging further development of environmentally friendly automotive and truck transportation solutions. Keynote speakers included John Hieftje, Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and John Hertel, CEO Detroit Regional Mass Transit.

The Michigan Clean Transportation Expo program included company and product presentations from six leading Michigan-based clean technology firms, including Fisher Coachworks. Greg Fisher, Fisher Coachworks CEO and Co-Founder, discussed the company’s plans and the firm’s launch product, the Fisher GTB-40 PHEV 40’ Transit Bus. During the awards ceremony which followed, Fisher Coachworks was the first company called to the podium to receive an award; and in Fisher’s case, the award was Michigan’s first Clean Transportation Technology Innovation Award.

Receiving the award for Fisher Coachworks was Bruce Emmons, Chief Technology Officer. “On behalf of Fisher Coachworks, I’m personally honored to accept the Clean Transportation Technology Innovation Award,” said Emmons. “Over the past several years, with the financial support and close technical collaboration of the Department of Energy, specifically Oak Ridge and Argonne National Labs, we have applied a ‘clean sheet of paper’ approach to designing what we and DOE consider to be a fully optimized, game-changing urban transit bus.”

Emmons continued, “The project started as a vehicle architecture redesign and weight reduction initiative; we then expanded the scope to include propulsion system optimization. The GTB-40’s efficiencies begin with a fully optimized vehicle architecture featuring an innovative and patented Nitronic 30TM stainless steel monocoque unibody structure. This chassis and body structure sets up the vehicle’s ultra lightweight characteristics which are further compounded by optimizing and downsizing all vehicle systems. Combining this with a plug-in serial hybrid propulsion system, the Fisher GTB-40 is engineered to eclipse current hybrids in energy efficiency. The result is quite unprecedented.” With many unique rider and driver attributes, the Fisher GTB-40 PHEV Transit Bus is nominally half the weight, and gets twice the equivalent fuel economy of current hybrid buses on the market today.

“Fisher Coachworks is thrilled to have received this award,” said Greg Fisher. “This award validates our view that the GTB-40 is truly a disruptive and market-ready product that will deliver significant benefits to our future transit authority and fleet customers. My partner and Fisher CTO, Bruce Emmons, as well as his entire engineering team, are to be congratulated on this great achievement.”