Forsee Power has partnered with MTB Transit Solutions for the retrofit of buses in North America. Forsee Power will supply battery systems to MTB to convert diesel buses into electric vehicles.
The first retrofit project in Canada was launched last month by the Town of Milton that announced its electric bus program appointed MTB to convert part of the fleet.
All buses require refurbishment at mid-life (eight to10 years) due to corrosion and normal structural wear and tear. The teardown reveals which parts need repairing and which parts need replacing.
MTB created ZEV Clean Power to convert diesel buses into electric buses. ZEV Clean Power centered around the importance of having environmentally sustainable transportation options to meet the net zero global roadmap and observe how the development time of new electric buses is limiting the conversion rate within transit authorities.
“The transit industry around the world is starting to shift from diesel propulsion to cleaner sources of energy.” said Gara Hay, president, MTB Transit Solutions. “We are thrilled to work with Forsee Power and the Town of Milton on this Canadian first and to demonstrate how transit systems can reduce their greenhouse gases”.
Retrofitting is now a credible alternative to the purchase of new vehicles to accelerate the energy transition of vehicle fleets. it allows to extend the life of the vehicles, accelerate fleet conversion to meet emission reduction targets with much less upfront investment. A retrofit program is approximately less than half the cost of buying a new electric bus.
The battery system is the main element of the retrofit kit. With complementary and ultra-modular formats, Forsee Power has all the technical solutions to transform diesel or gas vehicles into 100 percent battery or hydrogen electric vehicles.
MTB selected FORSEE ZEN 16 SLIM, an ultra-thin battery system that can fit in very limited space. The battery pack, each 16 kWh, offers energy density and very high cycle life for a great total cost of ownership.
The battery systems will integrate with a 2017 Nova Bus LFS.
