DesignLine, the US manufacturer of the Eco-Smart 1 electric bus, has planned a $30 million manufacturing facility in a joint venture with a UAE partner.

The 100,000 sq ft plant, which will start production in January 2012, will manufacture the world’s first and only 100 per cent electric, zero emissions passenger bus.

The manufacturer and the investor are in final discussions over the project, with a number of sites under consideration.

DesignLine will reveal the identity of its business partner, and the location of the plant, at Commercial Vehicles Middle East, the specialist trade exhibition taking place at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 14 to 16.

The company says the plant, which will create 300 jobs, 90 per cent of these to be filled locally, will have the capacity to manufacture up to 600 Hybrid and All Electric buses per year.

The Eco-Smart 1 electric bus consumes no fossil fuels and generates zero emissions.
The Eco-Smart 1 electric bus, which can carry 29 passengers, or 22 in a VIP class configuration, is capable of travelling up to 200 kilometers on a single charge, producing savings on fuel and maintenance costs for owners and operators.

Two buses delivered to the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) in Abu Dhabi last year are in daily operation at Sir Baniyas Island, making it the world’s first destination to have an entirely electric transportation system.

The bus will be displayed by Liberty Automobiles, DesignLine’s UAE distributor, at the Commercial Vehicles Middle East exhibition in Dubai.
 
“Tourism and hospitality, along with the aviation sectors such as airports and airlines, are key growth areas for DesignLine in the region,” said Eyad Alaeddin, managing director of DesignLine Corporation Middle East.

He will be speaking at the Commercial Vehicles Conference - which runs alongside the exhibition - about the technology and future of hybrid and electric buses in the region.

According to the IEA, all six countries of the GCC rank in the top 15 in the world in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita.

Although the majority of these emissions are attributed to oil production and energy intensive desalination plants, CO2 emissions from the transport sector among the GCC States are some of the highest in the world.

“The Middle East is among the highest in the world in carbon dioxide emissions per capita, and this underlines the need to look toward a more sustainable future in all aspects of passenger transport”, added Alaeddin.-TradeArabia News Service