Optima Bus Corporation

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Optima Bus, LLC, formerly Chance Coach Inc., was a brand of small transit buses manufactured by North American Bus Industries. It was established in 1976 in Wichita, Kansas.

It was originally the trolley-replica and conventional-bus production business of Chance Industries, Inc. In 1998, Chance Coach, Inc. was sold to American Capital Strategies,[1] which rebranded the company as Optima Bus Corporation in 2003.[2] American Capital subsequently sold Optima to North American Bus Industries, who closed the Kansas assembly plant on August 8, 2007, with production moved to their existing plant in Anniston, Alabama.[3] Optima Bus is now North American Bus Industries, Inc.[4]

Products

Current

  • Opus: under 30 ft (9.14 m) or under 35 ft (10.67 m) low-floor bus, design based on Wrightbus bodywork
  • American Heritage Streetcar AH-28 - trolley-style body on bus chassis
Opus ISE series hybrid

There is a hybrid Opus version, called Opus ISE Series Hybrid Buses.[5]

It utilizes ISE-Siemens ThunderVolt hybrid technology built around Siemens ELFA motors, generators and inverters.


Historic

Pace RT-52 in Niles, Illinois.
  • Chance RT-52 is a small Shuttle Bus used in Hawaii. 17 Chance RT-52 Shuttle bus still in service.

Chance manufactured the Sunliner trams, an open-air towed tram used at various parks and zoos in the United States and Canada.

See also

References

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External links

  1. American Capital Strategies
  2. Dinell, David, "Chance Coach Inc. will be renamed Optima Bus Corp." Wichita Business Journal, January 15, 2003.
  3. www.kansas.com
  4. http://www.optimabus.com/
  5. [1], isecorp.com, 08-12-13