by Jon LeSage, editor, Fleet Management Weekly
Green Automotive Company (GAC) is bringing electric shuttle buses to the US market and will start production in November. GAC is the holding company for three units – Liberty Electric Cars and GoinGreen in the UK and Newport Coachworks in the US. In November, Newport Coachworks will start building electric shuttle buses at its production facility in Riverside, Calif.
The Newport Coachworks team has been in the bus market for years and was recently acquired by GAC. While most of the buses in shuttle transportation tend to be converted from Ford E450 or F550 platforms, Newport Coachworks will be building its own electric buses from the ground up.
Newport is tapping into Liberty Electric Cars’ experience delivering electric vehicles to parcel delivery and postal fleets, and to plumbers, gardeners, decorators, and other business customers. The shuttle bus is powered by an 80 kilowatt battery pack that goes about 100 miles on a charge; the A/C unit doesn’t need extra power during the trips as it has its own source, said Ian Hobday, director of GAC.
Hobday’s initial company, Liberty, was acquired last year by GAC and brings about eight years of experience in the European market to the table. It’s been delivering electric vehicles to customers in Europe for several years, and has other diverse offerings on the market including all Electric Range Rover conversions.
A number of clients have been using GAC’s drivetrains in their own vehicles, including OEMs in Europe. They’ve also been accessing the Liberty E-Care service offering, which provides service and support for EVs already on the road, from trained and skilled technicians equipped with customized diagnostic tools.
The auto industry has witnessed a painful “churnover” during the past three years as startup electric vehicle manufacturers and lithium-ion battery pack makers have gone out of business. Hobday says the holding company has a business strategy of going “back to basics.” A steady cash flow is needed for EV makers, and each of GAC’s business units have revenue streams beyond EVs. “You can’t have 100 percent of your focus on EVs,” he said. “The volume’s not strong enough yet.”
