NEWPORT BEACH, CA--November 13, 2012: --Green Automotive Company (OTC:GACR) today announced that its two subsidiaries had initiated a collaborative project to develop a range of electric buses for the North American market, utilizing the proprietary electric drive train technology from Liberty and combining it with the industry leading bus designs of Newport Coach Works.
Carter Read, President of Newport Coach Works, travelled to the UK two weeks ago to initiate this project, meeting with the Liberty team at their technology development centre in Coventry, UK. The Liberty team were responsible for building the world's first "ground up" electric truck, and had prepared a strong platform, presenting designs for a pure electric 19-seater bus to accommodate both able-bodied and wheelchair passengers in a flexible configuration. Already at prototype stage with this first design, the technology employed will provide the base for a range of electric buses destined for the North American market.
The kick-off meeting set parameters for electric bus performance for the North American market, including, distance; charging times; speed; acceleration; across a range of buses from 11,500lb GVW through to 33,000lb GVW, covering the most popular segments in the shuttle and school bus markets. Advances in the technology for electric vehicles should see Newport Coach Works launch electric buses with the ability to charge their batteries to 80% in just 30 minutes. This short charging time provides operators with the opportunity to drive much greater distances during the working day.
Carter Read, President of Newport Coach Works: "I have a passion to provide clean and quiet buses for the North American market -- ones that provide a cost effective solution for operators and improve passenger comfort dramatically. With the Electric Vehicle technology developed by Liberty, combined with our class leading bus designs we can provide the market with truly exciting solutions. We expect to have our first demonstration buses available to be viewed and driven by operators around mid-2013. The first models will focus on the 19-seat sector, and should be quickly followed by larger capacity buses."
Ian Hobday, CEO Liberty: "By using modular technology we can scale our proprietary Electric Drive train to fit a number of bus sizes and weights. This development builds on our existing technology and can thus be realized in short order, but perhaps more importantly will be based almost entirely on American-sourced components. Together with Newport we're going to design, build and supply the first truly American Electric buses for an American market!"
