ORLANDO, Fla. (Thursday, August 27, 2015) – Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), a leading manufacturer of motor vehicles for commercial, fire & emergency and recreation markets, today announced that its Collins Bus Corporation subsidiary has delivered the first four production units of its new NEXBUS® compressed natural gas (CNG) Type A school bus to the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County, Pa. With more than half of its 117 vehicle fleet fueled by CNG, the Lower Merion School District boasts one of the largest fleets of alternative fuel school buses on the East coast.
“We are excited to see the delivery of the first Ford Factory OEM approved CNG Type A school bus,” said John Walsh, vice president of sales for ASV Bus. “The Collins NEXBUS CNG model demonstrates ASV’s commitment to meeting customer demands for environmentally friendly vehicles powered by clean alternative fuel systems that reduce carbon emissions.”
The four Collins NEXBUS CNG models, purchased through Wolfington Body Company in Exton, Pa., are built on a Ford E-450 cutaway truck chassis equipped with a gaseous engine prep package and feature the CNG Westport WiNGTM Power System, a dedicated natural gas fuel system for light-duty vehicles certified under the Ford Quality Vehicle Modifier (QVM) program. This certification maintains the Ford Factory 3-year/36,000 mile chassis engine and powertrain warranty.
“Westport’s partnership with Collins is a natural one. Each company brings a commitment to offering the best solution for fleet customers and delivering a quality product of superior performance,” said Paul Shaffer, Westport vice president and managing director responsible for the WestportTM WiNG business.
NEXBUS is a series of Collins models that feature advanced technologies, such as CNG and other clean alternative fuel systems. Collins has an exclusive agreement to provide the CNG Westport WiNGTM Power System for Type A school buses built on a Ford chassis.
About Collins Bus Corporation
Collins Bus Corporation, a subsidiary of Allied Specialty Vehicles, Inc. (ASV), manufactures Type A school bus and multi function school activity bus (MFSAB) models in South Hutchinson, Kan. The company introduced the industry’s first small school bus model for 16-20 passengers in 1967, which paved the way for the development of the Type A school bus classification and established the company as a leader in innovative design. Collins also pioneered one of the earliest wheelchair lifts in the mid-1970s and introduced the first propane powered Type A alternative fuel school bus in 2010. For more information about Collins, visit www.collinsbuscorp.com.
About Westport
Westport engineers the world’s most advanced natural gas engines and vehicles. More than that, we are fundamentally changing the way the world travels the roads, rails and seas. We work with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide from design through to production, creating products to meet the growing demand for vehicle technology that will reduce both emissions and fuel costs. To learn more about our business, visit westport.com, subscribe to our RSS feed, or follow us on Twitter @WestportDotCom.
About Allied Specialty Vehicles
Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV) is a +$1.7 billion manufacturer of industry leading vehicle brands serving commercial, fire & emergency and recreation markets. Within the commercial division, ASV offers a full line of buses, terminal trucks, sweepers and mobility conversion vehicles. The fire & emergency division offers a complete line of fire apparatus and ambulance vehicles. Within the recreational vehicle division, the company produces motorized RV’s under several of the industry’s most iconic brands. For more information, visit www.alliedsv.com.
