BAE Systems is set to provide electric drivetrains for buses in south-eastern Pennsylvania.
The company, perhaps better known for its fighter planes, submarines, and tanks, will provide up to 340 electric drive systems for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s new fleet of low-emission buses.
The buses are set to be manufactured by New Flyer of America Inc. and BAE will provide an initial 220 drive systems, with an option for an extra 120, over the next three years. The buses are set to be built at New Flyer’s facility in Endicott, N.Y.
Known as Series-ER, the drivetrains use “advanced materials for increased electrical efficiency” and promise to deliver “significant” emission reductions and fuel savings across the fleet.
“We are supporting SEPTA’s environmental goals with green technology that improves air quality for the greater Philadelphia community,” says Steve Trichka, vice president and general manager of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE Systems.
“Our electric drive system provides transit operators with a highly reliable, flexible option to bring them one step closer to a zero-emission future.”
The Series-ER system includes an electric motor, onboard energy storage, and smart controls to create an integrated electric propulsion system for the buses. The system also offers engine stop and start, as well as geo-fenced green zone technology for fossil fuel-free operation in certain prescribed areas.
The onboard charger and advanced energy recovery also enables the buses to deliver zero emissions without the need for grid-connected charging.
BAE Systems is no stranger to electric buses – despite its more well-known links with military hardware. The company has supplied more than 14,000 propulsion systems in service on buses around the world, including in New York, San Francisco, Montreal, and London.
It certainly seems to be a good time for military hardware companies to get involved in electric propulsion. The US military, for example, is planning to swap out its bad and nasty gasoline-powered Humvees for kinder, friendlier electric alternatives to help move troops around warzones.
Keyword: BAE Systems to Build Drivetrains for Electric Buses in Pennsylvania