Ebus Lands Order for 18 Electric Buses

8 July 1999

Ebus Lands Order for 18 Electric Buses; The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Places Its Largest Single Order for Electric Buses With an LA-Based Bus Manufacturer

    DOWNEY, Calif.--July 7, 1999--The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power Wednesday awarded a contract for 18 electric buses to Ebus Inc.
    The 18 bus order helps the City of Los Angeles meet its transportation commitments to host the 1999 National League of Cities Convention in December 1999 and the August 2000 Democratic National Convention.
    The order consists of 15 transit buses and three trolley replicas. Both models seat 22 passengers and feature ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) required components as standard equipment. The electric powered buses achieve a top speed of 40 mph and have a range of 50-60 miles.
    The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) acquired the vehicles to fulfill the city's commitment to provide alternative fueled transportation for the two major events. According to S. David Freeman, general manager of the LADWP, "We were very impressed with the Ebus team, and we're very happy that a local vendor was able to meet our performance requirements and aggressive delivery schedule."
    "Our entire organization is excited," said Bill Webster, president of Ebus. "Thousands of delegates, members of the press, and millions of television viewers will have the chance to witness Ebus electric buses in action. It's one more proof that successful, zero emission, environmentally friendly public transportation is available now, not 10 years from now."
    The new bus order delivers multiple economic benefits to Southern California. To meet the December delivery deadline, Ebus will employ an additional 20 to 30 employees at their facility in Downey. Additionally, at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention, the buses will be deployed in local cities, campuses and transit agencies to meet other Southern California public transit needs.
    The contract also includes the purchase of 10 PosiCharge(R) Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Systems manufactured by AeroVironment Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Each charging system delivers a 50% increase in battery charge in just one hour. Fast charging batteries enable these electric buses to perform expanded transit duty by increasing their daily available driving range.
    Ebus is a recently formed electric-bus manufacturer. Ebus' first electric bus production models are 22-foot buses with flooded cell lead-acid batteries; a capacity of 22 seated passengers and five standees. The base vehicles are ADA compliant and are fitted with anti-lock brakes. A modern transit-bus and classic trolley configurations are offered. A battery cooling system designed to facilitate fast/opportunity charging is available as an option.
    A wide range of accessories and configurations are available. Ebus offers both battery-powered and fossil-fueled air-conditioning and heating systems. Ebus is testing technology and perfecting designs for 30-foot electric and hybrid-electric buses, which will be available late in 1999.