Advanced Vehicle Systems Inc. (Chattanooga, TN) has manufactured the first electric bus to have ever completed the testing required for buses purchased with federal funds. The 22-foot shuttle bus was for the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, which cooperated in the testing project.
The federal bus testing is a durability test designed to simulate several years' use in a shorter period of time. Tests included driving the bus for several weeks over an obstacle course with large holes and other features designed to test the strength of the bus chassis and suspension. The strength of the bus was also tested with special test gear maintained at the Altoona facility.
