Model 1 Commercial Vehicles of Indianapolis, a bus and transportation services dealer, has signed a contract with the California Vanpool Authority (CalVans) to deliver 403 new all-electric Ford E-Transit vans.
CalVans is a public transit agency that provides California commuters with a vanpool program. It connects residents in areas with low population density with employment centers and is especially critical to meeting the needs of the farming community and its workers.
CalVans’ fleet of Ford E-transit vans was upfitted by Forest River Bus. The fleet includes both 12-person and 9-person passenger vans that were upfitted for different configurations and route needs, including ADA compliance and room for passenger bags and tools. The ADA passenger units are fully tested and certified by Forest River Bus, BranuAbility, Q’Straint, and the Freedman Seating Co. to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements.
Before the purchase of the Ford E-Transit units from Model 1, CalVans’ fleet of nearly 1,000 vehicles included many traditional-fuel units that had exceeded the recommended lifecycle or were reaching end-of-life.
CalVans struggled to find parts to maintain old gas-fueled models or traditional unit options to meet timing demands. While many vehicle dealers were still recovering from pandemic-related supply chain issues, Model 1 invested in EV inventory and EV infrastructure, product support and technical training.
“It’s encouraging to see adoption of electric vehicles happening at a significant scale,” says Tony Matijevich, president of Model 1. “We hope the move by CalVans — and their collaborative approach with Model 1 — emboldens other agencies and organizations to make the commitment to EV units.” Matijevich noted that Model 1 has units in stock as other organizations and agencies are expanding their fleets and considering EV.
“The work Model 1 and Forest River Bus are doing to support California Vanpool Authority’s electrification journey — enabled by our class-leading E-Transit vans — will bring measurable cost savings in addition to reducing their carbon footprint,” says Tim Baughman, general manager of Ford Pro North America. “Ford Pro is proud to provide electric solutions to help accelerate business productivity, lower total cost of ownership and make EVs more accessible to rural areas where clean transportation alternatives are needed.”