Fisher Coachworks, a Detroit-based manufacturing startup, had developed a unique and revolutionary new body and drive train strategy for a battery powered city bus. Sundberg-Ferar was retained to help ensure that the exterior and interior styling accurately reflected the unique and environmentally friendly aspects of this amazing piece of technology.
The core product was a revolutionary 40-foot, 42-seat bus, that used patented stainless steel unibody construction to make it significantly lighter than current buses. The weight, combined with battery-powered electric motors for each wheel, led to a fuel economy of 10-12 mpg — about double that of traditional bus mileage. Sundberg-Ferar’s design solutions included a front end that explored the planar construction methodology of the main body and an interior built with renewable bamboo.