This week’s Zero Emission Bus Conference (ZEB Con) in San Diego included the first public display of the new Axess EVO-BE battery electric bus from Rev Group’s Eldorado National (California) (ENC). The company’s presence at ZEB Con follows its sale of four battery-electric buses to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Texas.

“We are incredibly excited to showcase the new Axess EVO-BE and our latest zero-emission technology at this year’s ZEB Con,” said Mike Ammann, Vice President of Sales, ENC. “This event is the perfect opportunity to show leaders in the drive for electrification the advanced performance and superior capabilities of our new battery electric bus.”

The company says its Axess buses are in operation at 33 airports around the U.S. In late 2022, ENC announced the sale of four EVO-BE bus units to DFW Airport, which are expected to be delivered by the end of 2023/beginning of 2024. One of the largest airports in the world, DFW claims to be the first carbon-neutral example in North America. The newly purchased ENC buses are part of the airport’s ongoing efforts to maintain its carbon-neutral status.

“At DFW, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact and leading the industry with our sustainability efforts,” said Ken Buchanan, EVP of Revenue Management and Customer Experience, at DFW International Airport. “Over 70 million travelers pass through our airport every year, and we continue to focus on using renewable energy sources to safely transport them while we focus on reducing carbon emissions and achieving the goal of net-zero by 2030.”

The Axess EVO-BE, built in Riverside, CA, is designed for transit and shuttle applications and is available in multiple configurations for passenger seating and wheelchair accommodation. ENC’s bus platform includes a low floor, making it suitable for airport use. The all-electric version comes in lengths of 32, 35, and 40 ft and offers seating capacities between 27 and 43.

The bus features Proterra Powered batteries capable of energy storage of 492 or 738 kW·h, the latter for 35- and 40-ft models, to enable a long range on a charge. Its electric propulsion system has 300-kW and 3700-N·m peak outputs.

The Axess EVO-BE bus was developed alongside the EVO-FC hydrogen-fuel cell bus, the latter already ordered by Foothill Transit Authority in Los Angeles and Pasadena and Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority in the state of New York.

The EVO-BE and fuel-cell EVO-FC integrate BAE Systems’ Gen3 power inverters and electric motors for a common structural powertrain enabled by the design of the supplier’s MPCS (Modular Power Control System) and MAPS (Modular Accessory Power System).

BAE Systems’ Gen3 Series-EV battery-electric and Series-H hydrogen-fuel-cell products power buses. The company has more than 15,000 propulsion systems in service on transit buses worldwide. Its electric propulsion technology is developed and serviced at facilities in Endicott, NY, and Rochester, UK.