LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The transportation industry is poised to reinvent itself over the next 10 years and a new consortium of innovative companies intends to lead the charge.

Metro/Titan Bus, Kaptyn, Lightning Systems, Zeem Solutions, Bell Transportation, and Pritchard Companies are partnering together to develop environmentally sustainable and financially productive transportation technologies. Although this group of companies has big plans to electrify various product lines across the transportation industry in the U.S., the first market is the shuttle bus livery market in Las Vegas.

For their introductory product – an all-electric Ford E-450 cutaway shuttle bus – Pritchard Companies provides the bus chassis, Metro/Titan builds out the shuttle bodies, Lightning Systems equips the shuttles with battery-electric powertrains, Zeem Solutions manages the fleet, and Kaptyn provides the final livery service to the Las Vegas area.

Each company in the group is playing a key role, said Joe Pritchard, CEO, Pritchard Companies. “This group’s strategic partnership is setting the stage for real innovation in the near future. The depth and breadth of expertise in our team is impressive, and it’s exciting to see each company play a unique and vital role in what we will accomplish.”

The new shuttle bus has an estimated all-electric range of a minimum of 110 miles. The electric drivetrain offers peak power and efficiency. Features such as full regenerative braking contribute to its industry-leading efficiency while adding range and reducing wear and tear on brakes and other maintenance items. The liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery system will accommodate a full charge in 2.25 hours with DC fast charging.

“We’ve been providing livery service to the Las Vegas metro area for 50 years, and we’re confident this product is going to be a home run,” said JJ Bell, Vice President at Kaptyn. “Our customers expect a luxury experience. But in today’s market, luxury doesn’t just mean leather – it means innovation and environmental ethics. This new product checks all the boxes, and we couldn’t be more excited to get it on the road.”

Lightning Systems CEO Tim Reeser added the E-450 shuttle bus has become one of Lightning’s top-selling platforms. “The Lightning Electric powertrain is designed to fit on nearly any E-450 shuttle or truck platform, and because it is so much quieter and smoother and non-polluting, the passenger, driver, and community experience is dramatically better.”

“The Lightning E-450 gets an equivalent of 30 MPG, compared to the industry average of 6 MPG on a gasoline E-450 shuttle bus. This tremendous efficiency benefit, combined with regenerative braking and reduced maintenance costs (such as no oil change requirements), means the vehicles are on the road more and the total cost of ownership is reduced.” 

Source: Metro/Titan press release