Ankai Automobile Tours Atlanta and Chattanooga

Trevor Williams
Urban sprawl and a spotty transit system usually aren’t listed among a city’s competitive advantages.
But with droves of suburban commuters and long stretches of freeway, Atlanta is a prime location for a bus that would run on electric power in the city and switch to diesel on major highways, according to officials from China Ankai Automobile Co. Ltd.

The state-owned Chinese vehicle maker from Anhui province is developing a plug-in hybrid electric bus for the U.S. market. While many companies, especially in China, have introduced cars using the technology, only a few firms have applied it to mass-transit vehicles.

Ankai, which already makes all-electric buses, isn’t deterred. China’s third-largest bus manufacturer is working with a California company, Efficient Drivetrains Inc., to develop the plug-in hybrid’s drive train. EDI was founded by Andy Frank, a mechanical engineering professor at University of California Davis whose research laid the initial groundwork for plug-in hybrids. Ankai aims to have a test model ready for the U.S. by the end of this year, said Linda Wang of Ankai’s international business department.

The basic difference between plug-in and conventional hybrids is that which their names suggest. Both use a combination of electric and diesel or gas power for propulsion, but plug-ins can be charged using a charging station, while conventional hybrids rely on gas-powered engines to replenish their batteries. Plug-ins generally have longer all-electric ranges but retain the ability to switch to gas for greater speeds or longer hauls.

“One of the big problems with all electric vehicles is what happens when you get on the highway. This addresses that problem, and that’s the niche,” said  Richard Kaye, an attorney for Atlanta law firm Taylor English Duma LLP, who has worked with Ankai since last year.

Mr. Kaye helped organize a visit to Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn., for a delegation of Ankai officials and Anhui government leaders last month. They learned about local transportation systems and heard expert briefings on the market trends and regulations in the U.S.

They met with mayors and economic development leaders in both cities and left convinced that the Southeast would be a favorable beachhead for U.S. sales operations as well as a potential factory, Mr. Kaye said.

Read the full story in Global Atlanta