Chattanooga may be back into the electric bus building business.
Bob Diehl, chairman of the Advanced Transportation Technology Institute (ATTI) said Ooltewah businessman Al Curtis is organizing a new electric bus firm to be based here.
EVamerica will mainly be producing 22-foot all-electric buses, Mr. Diehl said. He said it may also build larger hybrid buses.
He said veteran electric bus designer Bob Davis of California will be the chief designer and John Powell, who has been director of ATTI, for over a decade, will be general manager.
Mr. Diehl said he also will be leaving ATTI, which entered into a partnership with the UTC engineering department.
Mr. Diehl said Mr. Curtis is currently raising capital for the new bus company.
He said the firm is also looking for a location, while also making use of the test track at Chickamauga Dam that was transferred to UTC and ATTI jointly by TVA.
Mr. Diehl, who serves on the CARTA board, said CARTA may be a customer of the new bus firm. CARTA will have to replace some of the electric shuttle buses as they continue to age.
He said with rising fuel prices there is "a great demand for electric buses."
AVS was formerly a bus builder in Chattanooga, but it went into bankruptcy. The assets were bought by Ebus, but the plant was not restarted.