ENC Axess battery electric bus passes tests for procurement program funding

Testing of the Axess BEB looked at maintainability, reliability, safety, brake performance, structural integrity and durability, fuel/energy economy, noise and emissions. (Photo: ENC)

ElDorado National (California) (ENC), a subsidiary of REV Group and a leading provider of heavy-duty transit buses and emissions-free technology, announces its Axess Battery Electric Bus (BEB) has passed rigorous testing by the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center (BRTC). The testing looked at maintainability, reliability, safety, brake performance, structural integrity and durability, fuel/energy economy, noise and emissions.

Introduced in late 2021, the Axess BEB features an integrated Cummins battery-electric system utilizing up to 518 kWh of BP74E battery packs. It is designed for charging flexibility, including plug-in, overhead and in-ground inductive charging.

“Our partnership with Cummins has been crucial in the development of the new Axess Battery Electric Bus,” said Jason Moore, vice president and general manager, ENC. “Their expertise in electric powertrains helped us engineer an innovative electric solution for our transit and shuttle bus customers.”

Like the proven Axess platform it’s built upon, the zero-emission bus is available in a zero-corrosion, 100% 304-grade stainless steel body structure/composite exterior. Purpose built for transit and shuttle applications, it is offered in 32-, 35- and 40-ft. lengths and in multiple configurations for passenger seating and wheelchair accommodations.

With the BRTC test results, the Axess BEB is now available for government rebates, alternative energy rebates and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funded procurement programs. ENC now has three fuel types and two different models that qualify for this funding: the Axess BEB (battery electric), Axess-FC (hydrogen fuel cell) and E-Z Rider II and Axess with CNG (compressed natural gas) options.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the BRTC testing,” Moore commented. “With our partners, we have developed a true zero-emission transportation vehicle that delivers superior performance, making it the perfect climate-neutral mobility solution for transit, airport, university and other high demand applications.”

Among the vehicles’ first applications will be transporting passengers on the Emory University campus in Atlanta, Georgia. In February 2022, ENC announced that the first order for Axess BEB had been placed by First Transit, a specialist in university mobility solutions. Six of the new buses will become the first battery electric units to be put into service at the university in a move toward creating a more sustainable campus.

The new buses will join an existing ENC fleet of 36 low-floor shuttle buses that have served the university for over 10 years.