Vicinity Motor Corp., a North American supplier of commercial electric vehicles, today announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Central States Bus Sales, Inc. (“Central States”), one of the largest school and commercial bus dealers in the U.S., to offer the Company’s full product portfolio, including an initial commitment for 18 demo and stock buses.
Headquarter in Fenton, MO, Central States has been a regional leader in bus sales and service since 1975. Central States supplies thousands of school and commercial buses annually to customers throughout the region, providing a host of transportation solutions. As one of the largest bus dealers in the country, Central States offers full-service facilities in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. The VMC distribution agreement covers 7 states extending from Kentucky to Nebraska providing VMC a significant advantage in this important market.
Under the new agreement, Central States will distribute Vicinity vehicles throughout the entire central region. The Vicinity line fills in key transit, EV and shuttle opportunities within Central States’ portfolio of vehicles, further enhancing its product offering to current customers while expanding into new market sectors. The agreement includes a commitment to 18 stock and demonstration vehicles.
“As the one of the largest school and commercial bus dealers and a well-respected brand, Central States adds significant sales opportunities for our product line and expands our reach in the center of the United States,” said William Trainer, Founder and CEO of Vicinity Motor Corp. “Central States has decades of experience serving and maintaining fleets in the region with warranty, training and technical capabilities to provide industry leading customer support. The initial order of VMC Optimal vehicles demonstrates increasing interest from established dealers to offer traditional customers all-electric options that mitigate exposure to energy and carbon costs – while still providing the range, speeds and gradeability required in daily real-world operation. We look forward to helping the Central States sales team share the benefits of our heavy-duty, light-duty and special purpose electric vehicles with customers.”
Jeff Reitz, President and CEO of Central States, added: “We see a good fit with VMC products among our portfolio of quality bus brands – completing our full range of bus offerings. As our customers increasingly look for options to meet their sustainability and ESG goals, we are excited by the unique and specific solutions that VMC products can offer our customers. The VMC Lightning™, Classic and Optimal designs are positioned to fill gaps in our offering and allow us to tailor solutions specifically to our customers’ needs.”