Dec 28, 2015 | News & Press
For Immediate Release
December 28, 2015
RIVERSIDE, CA — Complete Coach Works (CCW) is pleased to announce the completion of a project to convert a gasoline hybrid bus operated by Gardena Municipal Bus Lines (GTrans) to CCW’s Zero Emission Propulsion System (ZEPS), an all-electric battery-powered engine.
After the ZEPS bus was delivered in late September, Gardena received a California Energy Commission grant to upgrade four more of its hybrid buses to electric. Gardena selected CCW, once again, to convert the buses to ZEPS in a project expected to begin early next year, said Kevin O’Brien, project manager for CCW.
“Gardena has been very impressed with the new bus,” O’Brien said. “It has been in service every day and they are really happy.”
Switching to the ZEPS drive system entails dismantling the bus down to the chassis, then installing all new mechanical parts as well as new flooring, seating, power steering, HVAC and low rolling resistance tires. The ZEPS engines have a range of about 130 miles and require about five hours to recharge the batteries.
“The bus is great,” said Anthony Cohen, Facility and Maintenance Manager for GTrans, “The only problem may be convincing the driver to give other operators a turn behind the wheel of the electric bus,” he said with a laugh. “The driver won’t give it up, she loves it!”
Gardena Municipal Bus Lines may be the only transportation agency in California operating with all gasoline/electric hybrid buses. “Certainly we’re one of the few and we are evaluating if the fleet should go all electric,” Cohen said.
The ZEPS conversion is just one of several projects GTrans has collaborated on with CCW. “I’ve always had a great relationship with them,” Cohen said. “I have the highest regard for CCW.”
Complete Coach Works (CCW) is the largest U.S. bus remanufacturing and rehabilitation company and the leading provider of a vast array of transportation solutions with over 28 years of dedicated service in the transportation industry. CCW is a pioneer in the business and strives to continually provide cleaner air through innovative design and engineering, resulting in the world’s first and only remanufactured all-electric battery powered bus. Developed and integrated by CCW, the Zero Emission Propulsion System (ZEPS) technology provides customers a highly cost effective alternative to green transportation, potentially revolutionizing the transportation industry while supporting the environment for future generations. Regardless of how small or large the job, CCW provides an exceptionally experienced team of over 350 experts, committed to customer service and satisfaction
Gardena Municipal Bus Lines (GTrans) operates a fleet of about 60 gasoline hybrid buses and other smaller vehicles to provide fixed route and demand response services that connect customers to destinations within the city and in neighboring South Bay communities. GTrans, which provides 9,574 rides a day, also links to the Los Angeles regional transit system, including Metro rail and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus system.
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Dec 21, 2015 | News & Press
For Immediate Release
December 22, 2015
RIVERSIDE, CA — Complete Coach Works (CCW) is pleased to announce that it is providing TransIT Services of Frederick County, MD, with five buses that have been completely refurbished and equipped with CCW’s Zero Emission Propulsion System (ZEPS), an all-electric battery-powered motor.
The first electric bus is expected to be delivered in February with the other four following closely behind in the proceeding months.
Jay Raber, the project manager for CCW, said the buses represent a significant milestone in a developing industry.
“This is the largest purchase of electric buses in the Northeast area by a transit property,” Raber said.
He credited Nancy Norris, Director of TransIT Services, for driving the purchase and marshaling funding for the contract.
“Nancy worked for two years to get the funding for this,” Raber said. “Frederick is a little community outside of Washington, D.C., and this is a huge project for them. It’s exciting because they got the funding and the approval to get this done before D.C. did. It means a whole lot to them.”
Norris said she first saw a CCW ZEPS bus at an event put on by the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority. Raber subsequently brought the bus to her agency’s offices so her fleet managers and mechanics could inspect it. “That was extremely helpful,” Norris said.
“The cost of the five ZEPS buses and charging stations is being covered by a combination of federal (FTA), state (MTA) and local grant funding, Norris said. A Maryland Energy Administration grant is providing the local match for one bus and also helping with the cost of installing 10 charging stations at the transit agency’s yard. As an indication of TransIT’s commitment to the ZEPS-powered buses, the construction project will include laying conduit for future construction of 10 more charging stations.
“In addition, TransIT has a contract with CCW to purchase up to four more ZEPS buses a year over the next four years,” Norris said.
“Each of the ZEPS buses is expected to save the agency $464,000 in maintenance and fuel costs over its 12-year lifespan,” Norris said. “For five buses, the savings equates to over $2.3 million dollars over the lifetime of the buses.”
CCW was Norris’ first choice because the company rebuilds older buses and keeps them “out of the landfill,” she said. “And the cost is about 40 percent less than the cost of new buses. If you can recycle something, repurpose it and save money, why not?”
Complete Coach Works (CCW) is the largest U.S. bus remanufacturing and rehabilitation company and the leading provider of a vast array of transportation solutions with over 28 years of dedicated service in the transportation industry. CCW is a pioneer in the business and strives to continually provide cleaner air through innovative design and engineering, resulting in the world’s first and only remanufactured all-electric battery powered bus. Developed and integrated by CCW, the Zero Emission Propulsion System (ZEPS) technology provides customers a highly cost effective alternative to green transportation, potentially revolutionizing the transportation industry while supporting the environment for future generations. Regardless of how small or large the job, CCW provides an exceptionally experienced team of over 350 experts, committed to customer service and satisfaction
TransIT Services of Frederick County is the public transportation system for Frederick County, MD. It provides local and commuter bus service and demand-response paratransit services to medical, employment, education and shopping centers, as well as connections to other commuter bus and rail systems. TransIT serves nearly 840,000 riders a year.
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Dec 10, 2015 | News & Press
Lancaster – The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) Stuff-a-Bus is moving full speed ahead with its annual holiday toy drive! AVTA’s staff and charity volunteers have been busy collecting donations of new toys and clothing items for local children in need this holiday season. Their goal is to collect enough toys, clothing, and other gifts to fill up the 40’ specially decorated bus to the roof. With nearly $24,000 raised by community business sponsors to help purchase items for the toy drive, the bus is bursting with holiday cheer and the transit agency is more than halfway towards its goal.
The record number of toys and gifts collected so far would not have been possible without the generous support of major sponsors like Walmart, Complete Coach Works, BYD, Transdev, Granite Construction, Rally Chevrolet, and the Jethawks, who collectively donated more than half of the overall total cash raised to purchase gifts for the Valley’s less fortunate children.
The cities of Lancaster and Palmdale are also getting into the action by hosting special events to support AVTA’s Stuff-a-Bus. The City of Palmdale is again challenging its employees to donate to Stuff-a-Bus with a fun contest, and has pledged a minimum of 400 toys and gifts for the event, while officials from the City of Lancaster and Remax will join forces on a shopping excursion to help “Stuff That Bus!” even more!
“The AVTA holiday toy drive is an incredible community effort that highlights the unity of Antelope Valley residents,” said AVTA Chair Marvin Crist. “Stuff-a-Bus has been a success for more than 20 years, thanks to support from the business community and from local charity volunteers, who step up year after year to help without hesitation.”
AVTA officials estimate they have collected approximately 3,000 toys and gifts so far, but there is room for more and the agency hopes to fill in the gaps this weekend with two more opportunities for AV residents to donate to AVTA’s Stuff-a-Bus. On Saturday, December 12, the Stuff-A-Bus will take part in the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce William J. “Pete” Knight “Frozen” Christmas Parade. Later that same day, the bus will be part of “A Magical BLVD Christmas” on Lancaster Blvd. From 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the Stuff-a-Bus will be ready and waiting for donations of new unwrapped toys and clothing. A large quantity of new toys will be on hand at this event, and for a small donation, folks can choose an item to stuff inside the bus. The final opportunity to help “Stuff That Bus!” will be on Sunday, December 13th, at the Antelope Valley Mall front entrance, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Residents can also stop by Palmdale City Hall, Monday through Thursday between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. until December 14, to drop off a donation.
“The holidays are the perfect time of year to do things for others,” says AVTA Executive Director Len Engel. “We provide a service to the community every day, but the holidays are when we try to do something special for those who need it most. It’s AVTA’s way of promoting goodwill and cheer within the community.”
All items donated will stay in the Antelope Valley, and will benefit children from Grace Resource Center, South Antelope Valley Emergency Services of Palmdale (SAVES), Children’s Center of the Antelope Valley, Children’s Bureau, the Child and Family Guidance Center and the Marco & Sandra Johnson Foundation. Volunteers from each charity, along with AVTA staff members, will gather in the AVTA Community Room on December 17 at 10:00 a.m. for the Bagging Party, to bag up all of the donated toys and clothes. Each charity will be prepared to haul their goodies away for final distribution to the families they serve. The public is welcome to attend.
AVTA provides local, commuter, and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.
Dec 3, 2015 | News & Press
For Immediate Release
December 3, 2015
Riverside, CA – Complete Coach Works (CCW) is pleased to announce it has completed the installation of Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF’s) on 20 coach buses for El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express, Inc. (EPLA).
The project ensures that coaches operated by EPLA meet particulate emission standards for diesel-powered vehicles set by various regulatory agencies.
Several days of data logging on each engine was performed to obtain crucial information about the vehicle’s exhaust system.
The data logger, which is temporarily installed on each vehicle, documents exhaust temperatures during normal engine operation. Exhaust temperatures, which can be influenced by vehicle speed, load, idling, ambient air temperatures and driver tendencies, can impact the operation of the proper filter.
After data logging, each engine underwent an assessment for flaws such as oil leaks, heavy smoke and exhaust leaks.
The assessment was then preceded by the installation of the DPF, which is a three-day process. Every EPLA coach received the same type of passive filter, which can be removed, cleaned and replaced while the coaches are in the shop for routine maintenance.
“These are tour buses. They have a tight allocation for where the filter can be mounted, but even with that challenge we were able to complete a successful installation,” stated CCW Representative, Mando Aguirre.
The project has allowed CCW to prove its ability to provide sound, secure installations during a short time frame to avoid affecting the company’s scheduled operations.
Per Aguirre, “The most important thing is for our customers to know that if they have a diesel particulate filter installed at CCW, they will have a filter that has been installed in a safe process with all the due diligence done in regards to safety and the safe operation of that filter.”
Complete Coach Works is the largest U.S. bus remanufacturing and rehabilitation company and the leading provider of a vast array of transportation solutions with over 28 years of dedicated service in the transportation industry. Regardless of how small or large the job, CCW provides an exceptionally experienced team of over 350 experts, committed to customer service and satisfaction.
El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express, Inc. was established in 1966 to provide low-cost transportation between Los Angeles and El Paso with few stops. It has since expanded to more
than 20 bus terminals in six states, with main terminals in El Paso, Albuquerque, Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The company also offers fast shipping and charter services to schools, government agencies and professional sports teams.
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Nov 9, 2015 | News & Press
For Immediate Release
November 9, 2015
Riverside, CA – Complete Coach Works (CCW) has completed its contract with Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) to rebuild six articulated low floor buses to help provide exceptional service to DART’s customers.
The 60 foot low floor buses are replacing high floor buses and include newly installed ramps, remanufactured power trains, transmissions, engines, brakes, and are equipped with two ADA compliant wheelchair positions.
CCW’s Regional Sales Manager, Jay Raber, said “this is a really exciting project because the improved ADA accessibility will bring satisfaction with new ramps that make onboarding and off-boarding easy, safe, and fast.”
Scott Reed, Maintenance Manager at DART, said this project was essential for DART because six buses were in need of replacement. He said that new bus “purchases would have had to be spread over, five years, but this enabled us to do our complete replacement within one year.”
Reed stated his satisfaction with the complete project, saying “the project went very smoothly, very much as planned, we are very happy with the final product… CCW has been very helpful, they had people on-site during the whole delivery, from bus one to bus six.
Besides being used on original high volume routes, the buses will also help Des Moinesians enjoy the state fair.
Complete Coach Works is the largest U.S. bus remanufacturing and rehabilitation company and the leading provider of a vast array of transportation solutions with over 28 years of dedicated service in the transportation industry. CCW a pioneer in the business and strives to continually provide cleaner air through innovative design and engineering resulting in the world’s first and only remanufactured all-electric battery powered bus. Developed exclusively by CCW, the ZEPS technology was integrated in order to provide customers an affordable route to eco-friendly transportation, potentially revolutionizing the transportation industry while supporting the environment for future generations. Regardless of how small or large the job, CCW provides an exceptionally experienced team of over 350 experts, committed to customer service and satisfaction.
The Des Moines Area Regional Transit (DART) Authority puts the customer first while providing safe, innovative and efficient public transportation service to the region. Local and state leaders created DART out of the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, or MTA, in 2006. DART is the largest public transit agency in Iowa, serving 18 cities in and around Polk County to varying degrees. DART is operated with the support of local property taxes and fare revenue.
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