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Vicinity Motor Corporation


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  • 2 weeks later...
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Grande West Transportation Group Inc. announced it has engaged with LION Smart GmbH to integrate BMW technology as its electric vehicle solution.

The company is launching its new purpose-built Vicinity LT EV bus in the fourth quarter of 2020 and partnering with LION Smart engineering services for development and integration of the power management system. The contract between Grande West and LION Smart includes engineering services covering software, mechanical and electrical adaptation, battery management, and the integration of 400V BMW battery packs into the Vicinity LT EV. As part of this contract, LION Smart is carrying out high-tech work of integrating the BMW battery pack solution.

The demonstration Vicinity LT EV is scheduled for delivery to Grande West in Q1 2021. After successful completion of the development project, subsequent orders for the supply of battery packs in significant quantities are possible for 2021.

The BMW high voltage batteries developed for the BMW i3 will be used for the Vicinity LT EV. The BMW i batteries are a proven EV solution in many applications other than just the i3, with over 100,000 BMW i battery packs sold worldwide.

https://www.metro-magazine.com/10129530/grande-west-teams-with-lion-bmw-to-electrify-vicinity-buses

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Grande West Transportation Group Inc. announced the Vicinity Lightning™ Electric Vehicle specifications and is now for sale in Canada and the U.S.

 

The Vicinity Lightning EV, the first electric bus for Grande West, is the newest model in the Grande West portfolio and is officially being introduced to the world. The premiere of the vehicle is a landmark for Grande West and for the industry in the transitioning towards zero-emission transport. The Vicinity Lightning will be an environmentally friendly alternative for diesel vehicles currently used in this segment.

The Vicinity Lightning was designed from the ground up to be a cost effective, user friendly vehicle. The design will allow it to fit into any standard transit garage with no major infrastructural electrical upgrades. Grande West has partnered with world class industry leaders to engineer this highly advanced vehicle. Time and forethought were given to the design and engineering process with the customer in mind and the result is the industry-changing Vicinity Lightning bus. The Company’s sales team has started the process of introducing the product to prospective clients in the U.S. and Canada.

 

For more about the new Vicinity Lightning, click here.

https://www.metro-magazine.com/10131061/grande-west-unveils-vicinity-lightning-electric-bus

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  • 1 month later...
12 hours ago, ORION said:

Not sure who this is for but it’s being advertised as 38ft Vicinity bus heading to a US customer.

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It looks like there's a luggage rack inside so Car Rental or Airport Shuttle would be good guesses. Not bad looking, the design scales up well.

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  • 3 weeks later...

A short, single-door Vicinity with small, 8-lug wheels was recently spotted in Abbotsford. It is similar in appearance to the prototype 7130 but the mirrors are different, the front fascia is all white and there are sets of blue stripes on the sides. Does anyone know what it might be? An LT prototype? No fog lights (just empty space where they would go).

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3 hours ago, Community Shuttle said:

A short, single-door Vicinity with small, 8-lug wheels was recently spotted in Abbotsford. It is similar in appearance to the prototype 7130 but the mirrors are different, the front fascia is all white and there are sets of blue stripes on the sides. Does anyone know what it might be? An LT prototype? No fog lights (just empty space where they would go).

This is the original Vicinity prototype (and BC Transit 7130). It was modified as a concept for the Vicinity LT platform and was displayed at APTA Expo 2017 in Atlanta, although not on the show floor.

Seeing as this was a concept modification where GW probably just retrofitted things to test it out (gasoline engine, axle, etc) I would not expect production Vicinity LT to look exactly like this. The overall dimensions are supposed to be different as well.

Images of the bus in this state have appeared in past GW company presentations.

 
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55 minutes ago, MiExpress said:

This is the original Vicinity prototype (and BC Transit 7130). It was modified as a concept for the Vicinity LT platform and was displayed at APTA Expo 2017 in Atlanta, although not on the show floor.

Seeing as this was a concept modification where GW probably just retrofitted things to test it out (gasoline engine, axle, etc) I would not expect production Vicinity LT to look exactly like this. The overall dimensions are supposed to be different as well.

Images of the bus in this state have appeared in past GW company presentations.

 

I see. So they basically took the original body and threw it onto a medium-duty chassis? The bus was spotted in a random driveway in Abbotsford. Is it still GW property, did an employee take it home, or was it sold off to a private party?

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  • 1 month later...

According to a press release, Grande West is changing its name to Vicinity Motor Corp., subject to regulatory approval.

https://grandewest.com/index.php/investors/press-releases

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Concurrent with the share consolidation, the Company will change its name to Vicinity Motor Corp. to reflect the Company's increasing focus on the commercialization of its next-generation electric buses.

 

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Don't know how I missed this video but it looks like an actual example of the truck exists. Does appear to actually be based on the Isuzu NPR (the headlights and cab match up) with a custom front fascia. An interesting thing to note is the apparent lack of front turn signals since only the lower portion of the Isuzu's headlights are being used on the 1200, though I suspect the bumper lights may actually be turn signals instead of fog lights. I also noticed that it lacks DOT side markers but I assume this is just an Isuzu-based prototype. I do know that Isuzu trucks are built at the Shyft plant where some buses are built so I wouldn't be surprised if something happened there to create this unit. The final product may be an original design from the ground up for all I know.

Fully Electric VMC 1200 Class 3 Truck - YouTube

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  • 6 months later...
12 hours ago, niatrans10 said:

Princeton has ordered an unknown number of NFI XE35's for delivery in 2022; the only electric VMC bus orders I know of are 14 30' units on order for Calgary Transit and 5 30' units for Tulane University in New Orleans

Oh, fun! Do you happen to have a source for this?

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16 hours ago, niatrans10 said:

Princeton has ordered an unknown number of NFI XE35's for delivery in 2022; the only electric VMC bus orders I know of are 14 30' units on order for Calgary Transit and 5 30' units for Tulane University in New Orleans

 

3 hours ago, niatrans10 said:

the Princeton units are listed on that system's wiki page, the Tulane units were from a Google search and the Calgary ones are from a VMC press release 

The information about Princeton and XE35's was added without any confirmed references such as a report or official news release so it is not confirmed that Princeton will actually get XE35s.

The Calgary and Tulane orders are for the 28' medium duty "Vicinity Lightning" bus. The 30' heavy duty "Vicinity Bolt" will become available later in 2022.

1270492B-55C7-4151-AFCB-ADBA207D50B2.jpeg

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  • 4 months later...
5 hours ago, Articulated said:

TOK Group will be receiving 6 Vicinity Lightning buses next year for operation on the Billy Bishop Airport shuttle in downtown Toronto.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/electric-shuttle-buses-coming-to-billy-bishop-toronto-city-airport-ytz-in-2023-847922545.html

Its the perfect application of e buses for them. 

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Vicinity buses have finally arrived in MN.

The MSP Delta Airlines employee shuttle network has been reinstated due to increased staffing and growing demand for on-site airport parking in the main terminal ramps. Today while working I spotted 3 Vicinity 35' (or 38'?) working the Main Lot/T1 shuttle and doing operator training. Unfortunately I only managed to grab this lone crappy shot of 588 as I was leaving.  I'm not sure if these are new units, or transfers from a different airport. The previous fleet of NWA era Gillig BRTs were in dire need of replacement, so it's nice to see them going for Vicinity units vs. cheaping out on jumbo cutaways.

168254451_Delta588.thumb.jpg.0a42badb38a5d2583105ff9a98c1ea87.jpg

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