Two bus companies plan separate U.S. transit-market entries by 2028. ABC Companies plans to build 35-foot and 40-foot transit buses in the United States, with first deliveries expected in 2028. The announcement adds a planned domestic bus line amid long delivery times for transit agencies, as Smart Cities Dive reported.
The company announced the plan at the American Public Transportation Association conference. ABC sells and services motor coaches, shuttle buses and passenger vans. Its new heavy-duty transit operation, called Cor Transit, has not yet selected a manufacturing facility location.
ABC Chief Commercial Officer John Walsh said demand is high and the company expects its entry to help fill it. He also said the new operation should help delivery times. Those are company expectations, while the first deliveries remain planned for 2028.
Bus Companies Plan Around Agency Needs
The company said the bus will meet applicable Build America Buy America Act requirements for transit agencies that rely on federal grants. ABC Vice President of the Transit Division Michael Ammann said the goal is a product agencies will understand and a vehicle that feels inviting to passengers.
Ammann described the planned interior as calming, with ambient lighting and a European feel. He said the design can accommodate a wheelchair ramp at the front door, center door or both. The bus is also expected to have a wide aisle.
Walsh said ABC designed the bus with service technicians and operators in mind. He pointed to driver safety partitions as a feature that can reduce airflow in the operator’s compartment. Ammann said the bus will include a driver’s air conditioning system as standard equipment, which he said will also help defog the window and circulate air on warm days.
The first Cor Transit vehicles will use diesel power. Ammann said the company plans to offer other powertrains later, without specifying a timeline in the source report. The planned ramp options, wide aisle and operator-focused features are part of ABC’s stated design approach.
Bus Companies Plan Different Powertrain Paths
VinFast separately announced plans to bring electric buses to the United States by 2028. The Vietnam-based manufacturer plans to work with NexMove Certified, a joint venture of Transportation Management Services and EV charging infrastructure provider Zeem Solutions.
The companies said they plan to offer the vehicles with charging, maintenance and operations through one purchase agreement. VinFast’s buses will be manufactured in Vietnam. Robert Hill, the company’s U.S. vice president of electric bus sales, told Smart Cities Dive they will not meet Buy America requirements and will come with a 15-year warranty.
The two announcements point to different planned approaches to entering the U.S. transit market: ABC says its first Cor Transit buses will be made domestically, while VinFast plans to supply buses made in Vietnam. The plans arrive amid the demand and order backlog described by Smart Cities Dive. ABC has yet to choose a facility location, and the first delivery date it has stated is 2028.
Transit agencies weighing vehicle plans can also read about public-private transit partnerships, fuel supply for California transit and accessibility in transit.
