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This hyper-modern exploration was in the spirit of the Lewis and Clark expedition of the early 1800s: an all electric, double-decker bus adventured​​ this summer from coast to coast to chronicle whether such transportation across vast hinterland is viable, or not.

What the underwriters of the journey confirmed was that at least for such big commercial vehicles, running 100 percent on battery power is still a wild, wild frontier. The trip spanned 2,900 miles from Northern California to Central Florida, and relied extensively on Interstate 10.

“Even though the bus is capable of going 250, almost 300 miles between charges, the public charging available is inconsistent and unfortunately pretty unreliable,” said Thom Peebles, vice president of Marketing at ABC Companies in Winter Garden, which sells and services buses nationwide.

For a Tesla sedan, such a cross-country trip would be a breeze, with the company’s robust network of charging stations and its trip planner app that [...]

Winter Garden, FL – August 2023, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment and industry leader in electric mobility solutions in the USA and Canada, has completed its recent Phase II Zero Emissions Cross Country Tour, “Charge On America” driven by Peoria Charter (Peoria, IL).

Piloted by Mr. James Wang of Peoria Charter, the “Charge On America” tour departed from ABC’s Newark, CA facility on July 26, 2023 covering over 2,800 miles and arriving at ABC HQ in Winter Garden, FL on August 7. The entire trip was documented on the “Motorcoach World” YouTube channel which Wang began and now has over 28,000 followers from around the globe. Joined by co-driver Dennis Utley, also from Peoria Charter, and four other family members, the voyagers experienced first-hand the unique benefits and challenges of battery-electric travel. Despite grueling weather conditions, including triple-digit temps and moreover, interoperability, availability and capacity issues within [...]

Winter Garden, FL – July 26, 2023, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment and industry leader in electric mobility solutions in the USA and Canada, has launched a Phase II Zero Emissions Cross Country Tour which kicks off departure from ABC’s Newark, CA facility this week.

The ABC “Charge on America” Zero Emissions Cross Country Tour follows a previous series of cross-country road test demonstrations of the Van Hool CX45E and TDX25E 100% battery electric premium motorcoaches, as well as a number of fully electric cutaway shuttles and vans. Utilizing publicly available charging stations located along the test routes, the EV coaches and units have successfully logged thousands of miles enduring variable road conditions, climate conditions and elevation gains – readily meeting projections for range, commercial charging capability, energy recovery and more.

The Phase II tour departed from ABC’s, Newark, California location bound for company headquarters in Winter [...]

Newark, Calif. – July 19, 2023 – ABC Companies, a leading provider of motorcoach, transit, and specialty passenger transport equipment and Proterra Inc (NASDAQ: PTRA), a leading innovator in commercial vehicle electrification technology, today announced the official opening of the largest electric motorcoach charging facility in North America.

Located on a 3.5-acre campus in Newark, California, the facility is equipped to charge up to 40 electric motorcoaches with 20 dual-cable EV charging dispensers and can support up to 1.4 megawatts of EV charging power. The facility enables enhanced service, delivery, training and support for the growing number of Proterra Powered Van Hool 100% electric motorcoaches.

Developed in collaboration with EV charging and battery partner, Proterra, and local utility provider, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the ABC Companies charging facility demonstrates that both the power and charging solutions are available to meet fleet operators’ needs to scale their commercial EV operations.

“As the largest passenger [...]

Winter Garden, FL – June 2023, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment and industry leader in electric mobility solutions in the USA and Canada, announced several promotions to enhance its senior management team to include:

• Roman Cornell to ABC Companies Chief Executive Officer
• Dane Cornell to ABC Companies Board of Directors Executive Chairman
• Chuck Carns, ABC Companies CFO, joins ABC Companies Board of Directors
• John Gillis to Executive Vice President, ABC Companies Parts Source

Dane Cornell has successfully led ABC Companies, serving innumerable executive posts and as CEO. Steering the company’s executive leadership team, Dane has developed executive talent with a focus on upholding the company’s core values and sustained profitability. He will continue to mentor leadership and support the business through continuing contributions and oversight as the Executive Chairman of the ABC Board.

Roman Cornell has served in a variety of regional and corporate positions [...]

 ABC Portfolio Supports Fleet Diversification with Solutions for Clean Diesel & EV from 8-81 Passengers.

Winter Garden, FL – January 13th, 2023, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment, has quickly become an industry leader in electric mobility solutions as it continues to provide operators options for diversifying and growing their businesses. With over six decades of service to the motorcoach industry, the company’s core focus remains on private motorcoach operations. Providing an expansive list of vehicles that parallel market shifts, adapt technology advances, consider governance, public and private sector reforms and more, the company has reshaped its portfolio to accommodate fluid and diverse applications across many operational platforms.

With a proven track record in electric mobility deployment and support, ABC offers its most expansive and developed product lineup in its companies’ history. While consumers and organizations calling for operators to provide zero emissions options is a growing trend, [...]

New Fully-electric Passenger Vehicle Puts EV Economy Option Within Reach.

Winter Garden, FL– January 13th, 2023, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment and industry leader in electric mobility solutions in the USA and Canada, unveils another new edition to its EV product lineup at UMA EXPO 2023. The 2022 Sunset Van Ford E-Transit High Roof model will be on display at Booth #1601. This cutting-edge EV option reflects ABC’s focus on offering a diverse range of choices to help operators stretch their fleet utilization. “The Ford E-Transit Sunset Van offers an excellent gateway vehicle for owners who want to begin adding EV options to their fleets, with minimum investment in charging infrastructure, technician and driver training”, said Roman Cornell, President and CCO, ABC Companies.

As they consider and determine their long-term fleet power approach, this uniquely versatile vehicle can help operators to reimagine and expand service to markets [...]

Andrew Siciliano appointed as Senior Vice President of Coach Sales

Winter Garden, FL– January 19th, 2023, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment including electric mobility solutions in the USA and Canada, continues to scale up operations with the recent appointment of Andrew (Drew) Siciliano as the new Senior Vice President of Sales. To ensure ABC’s customer base is served at the highest levels, ABC has added this key role while refining existing positions across the Motorcoach Sales Team.

“As we continue to expand our product offering, we now have the broadest portfolio in our history. This allows entry into new markets while bringing our existing customers more choices in an everchanging economy.  Throughout this growth, our customer relationships are critical to our continued success. I am excited to continue aligning with our customers and look forward to the many opportunities ahead.  This streamlined approach will ensure our customers’ [...]

Van Hool Models Highlight Fresh Upgrades, Premium Options and Attention-Grabbing Graphics at ABC Booth #1601.

Winter Garden, FL – January 13th, 2023, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment and industry leader in electric mobility solutions in the USA and Canada, brings a luxury motorcoach experience to UMA EXPO 2023. The exclusive distributor of Van Hool motorcoaches will showcase its flagship Van Hool CX45 and CX35 models on the show floor at ABC Booth #1601. The fully-loaded EXPO models integrate an expansive array of available features and upgrades that reflect the latest trends in graphic applications, high-end interior finishes and enhanced driver functionality. “Passengers expect and demand a luxury transportation experience today”, said Roman Cornell, President and CCO, ABC Companies. “These enhanced models demonstrate a fully-immersive passenger experience with features that can be specified on new equipment, or in some cases, retro-fitted to late model coaches to achieve a [...]

Premier Turtle Top Odyssey XL Now Available from ABC Expanding Offerings to Diversify Fleet Service.

Winter Garden, FL – November 14th, 2022, ABC Companies a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger transport equipment in the USA and Canada, continues to expand its equipment lineup with the unveiling of the Turtle Top Odyssey XL S2C at NLA’s Chauffeur Driven Show. The feature-rich, 41-passenger shuttle bus is available from ABC on both the Freightliner S2C and Ford F600 chassis, offering fully customizable options for exterior and interior components, as well as a variety of seating configurations.

“We’re seeing many operators diversify their fleets with more transport options to expand their service and better serve evolving customer bases”, said Roman Cornell, President [...]