Efficient Drivetrains Selected to Participate in DOE Program for Electrification of Buses

Department of Energy funds program to accelerate the adoption of
Advanced Alternative Fuel Vehicles

MILPITAS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#EDI—Efficient
Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI), a global leader in advanced high-efficiency
zero emissions hybrid and electric vehicle drivetrain solutions, today
announced that it has been selected as the electric drivetrain provider
for a $4.4M program implemented by the United States Department of
Energy in efforts to accelerate the adoption of advanced and alternative
fuel vehicles. Combined with matching funding from other public and
private entities in California, the total project funding represents an
electrification program over $9M.

School buses continue to remain the largest mass transit segment in the
country, carrying more than twice the number of passengers as the entire
US transit and rail segments. Diesel vehicles expose the community and
school children to toxic air contaminants, which are known to increase
health risks. Upon completing the program, the result is a fleet of
affordable, full electric zero-emissions buses that will eliminate
thousands of pounds of particulate matter from the air, improving the
health of the school children riding the buses, and the greater
community.

As part of the program, EDI will be supplying its EDI PowerDrive™ 7000ev
electric drivetrain in conjunction with its EDI Power2E™ exportable
power solution to a leading school bus OEM to develop a fleet of
zero-emissions electric-powered school buses with Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)
capabilities. The bus offers 100+ miles of all electric zero-emissions
driving, with the expected full power performance of its traditional
diesel counterpart and requires no change to driver behavior to operate.
Additionally, fleet managers will have access to real-time fleet
tracking and vehicle diagnostics featuring the location, state of
charge, and other valuable information utilizing the EDI PowerTracker™
telematics system.

EDI continues to experience rapid growth and demand in the U.S. bus
market due to tighter government mandates and the correlative interest
bus companies have in electric fleets. In response to the increased
demand, EDI offers a vehicle developers kit and support program to
enable bus manufacturers to rapidly create EV vehicle solutions. The EDI
PowerDrive™ kit offers OEMs a robust framework for rapid EV vehicle
solution development. Electrification kits include a high-efficiency
drivetrain (EDI PowerDrive™), vehicle control and telematics software
(EDI PowerSuite™), and the training and support infrastructure to enable
quicker time to market in offering EV vehicles. OEMs can also further
customize their vehicle solutions with EDI’s Electric Power Export (EDI
Power2E™) option—the capability to export a range of power directly from
the vehicle for use in disaster recovery, tool operation, and V2G
applications. By integrating EDI’s drivetrain and vehicle control
technology into school bus platforms, OEMs have the ability to build
fleets with zero-emissions vehicles while enjoying a significant
reduction in fuel costs and ownership costs.

News Highlights:

• EDI was selected to provide the electric drivetrain for the upcoming
  DOE program created to accelerate the adoption of advanced and
  alternative fuel school buses. The company’s EDI PowerDrive™ 7000ev
  will enable zero-emissions driving, resulting in the elimination of
  thousands of pounds of particulate that diesel buses expel annually.
• Funding programs are readily available across the US for school
  districts who are interested in adopting electric technology.
• The company has already collaborated with several leading OEMs to
  electrify buses. In the US, the EDI PowerDrive™ 7000ev has been
  integrated into both Type C and D school bus formats.
• EDI has long standing history in electrification of buses-integrating
  its EDI PowerDrive™ technology into several models of 8, 10.5, and 12
  meter buses for OEMs such as Ankai, Shaanxi, Xiamen Jinlong, and
  Yaxing Motor Coach.
• Schools operating fleets of electric buses benefit from zero-emissions
  driving, clean-air for their students, and the surrounding community,
  and significantly reduced fuel costs.
• For vehicle manufacturers looking to quickly offer electrified
  solution offerings, the company will be offering the EDI PowerDrive™
  technology in both PHEV and EV platforms as an electrification kit for
  OEMs, including control software and optional telematics for vehicle
  analytics and real-time fleet monitoring.

Supporting Quote:

“EDI commends the Department of Energy’s efforts to fund accelerator
programs designed to expedite clean energy vehicle solutions that are
deployed in real use cases and performance environments. The commitment
from the DOE continues to drive a positive impact. As a whole, we are
continuing to see an influx of requests from the industry related to the
electrification of school buses in the US. Having successfully deployed
our system in leading type C and D OEM platforms, EDI is well positioned
with a portfolio that helps bus manufacturers deploy electrified vehicle
solutions into their product offerings rapidly.”

-Joerg Ferchau, CEO
Efficient Drivetrains

Additional Resources:

• Efficient
  Drivetrains, Inc. Unveils Its EV School Bus Platform – EDI PowerDrive™
  7000 EV at NAPT Industry Event News Release
• Zero
  Emissions School Bus Program Funded by the Department of Energy
  News Release
• EDI School Bus Solution Video
• EDI on LinkedIn
• EDI on Facebook
• EDI Vehicle Project Videos

About EDI:

Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) develops and markets a range of
state-of-the-art PHEV and EV drivetrain solutions worldwide. EDI’s
leading-edge hybrid-electric drivetrain systems and technologies enable
OEMs to meet zero-emissions requirements while providing significant
cost and efficiency advantages for parallel and series hybrid drivetrain
architectures across nearly all platform classes and configurations. EDI
is currently active in automotive projects throughout North America and
the APAC region. Visit www.efficientdrivetrains.com
for more information.

Contacts

EDI (Efficient Drivetrains, Inc.)
Kristal Ferchau, +1 408-213-9568
[email protected]