GILLIG and Cummins partner on battery-electric buses

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Green Car Congress  /  October 9, 2017

At the APTA public transportation show in Atlanta, GILLIG LLC a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, and Cummins Inc. announced a technical collaboration focused on integrating and optimizing new battery electric technology from Cummins that will soon power GILLIG electric transit buses. At APTA, Cummins is introducing new powertrain configurable for either a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a range extended electric vehicle (REEV) incorporating a compact engine-generator. (Earlier post.)

Initial development work will focus on a new battery electric GILLIG bus with a 200-mile operating range on a single charge. The bus will feature a direct-drive traction motor with peak torque of 3500 N·m (2,582 lb-ft), and utilize energy recovered from a regenerative braking system. A package of e-accessories will be powered by the Cummins system. The initial bus deployment will use a plug-in charger.

The Cummins electrified powertrain on show here at APTA represents a major leap forward for the industry, and we are delighted that GILLIG will have first access to this important zero-emissions technology. The partnership enables a close technical collaboration so we can accelerate system integration and performance optimization work to leap ahead of others in the industry.

Beyond the technical development work, the partnership will also encompass the full range of 24/7 service support, diagnostics, over-the-air connectivity, flexible warranty plans and training programs ready for when these GILLIG electric buses enter service.

—Amy Boerger, Cummins Vice President — Sales North America

Cummins currently powers the GILLIG series of Low Floor, BRT, BRTPlus, Commuter and Trolley buses with a broad portfolio of diesel, near-zero natural gas and diesel-hybrid power systems. The addition of Cummins electrified power systems to the bus range will align with transit customers looking to introduce zero-emissions buses to their fleets while still maintaining commonality with their existing GILLIG vehicles and service support provision.

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