ENC launches ZAVIR, a purpose-built Class 3 electric shuttle concept for the US market

ZAVIR, a new medium-duty vehicle brand from ENC, has unveiled a purpose-built Class 3 shuttle platform for the US market, with battery-electric and range-extended electric configurations planned.

The first ZAVIR concept vehicle is on show at APTA EXPO 2026 in Chicago underway from 5 to 7 October 2026. According to ENC, the platform has been developed from the ground up as a shuttle rather than being based on a narrow-body van or cutaway chassis originally engineered for another application.

Commercial availability and the start of production at the company’s Jurupa Valley facility are currently estimated for 2028.

ZAVIR is a brand of ElDorado National (California), Inc. (ENC), the US heavy-duty transit bus manufacturer headquartered in Jurupa Valley, California. The new brand is intended to address both public transit agencies and private fleet operators, with applications ranging from paratransit and campus routes to airport and corporate shuttle services.

The launch comes during a new industrial phase for ENC, which was acquired from REV Group by Rivaz in late 2024. Bus production restarted in 2025 after a temporary pause during the ownership transition. Rivaz says more than $50 million has since been invested in the operation, while ENC is targeting annual production capacity of 800 to 1,000 buses at its 227,000-square-foot Jurupa Valley facility.

In April 2026, the manufacturer secured a place on the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services cooperative transit bus contract, covering 35- and 40-foot diesel, CNG, hybrid and battery-electric buses. In September, LA Metro approved a $337.7 million contract with ENC for 220 40-foot battery-electric buses, with deliveries scheduled to start in spring 2028. Sustainable Bus.

Source pictures: ZAVIR’s video on official website

ZAVIR shuttle offered in low-floor and high-floor configurations

Two variants of the ZAVIR concept have been unveiled: a low-floor model and a high-floor model. Both model measure 22 feet (6.7 metres) long and 8 feet (2.4 metres) wide, offer seating for up to 18 passengers plus standees and provide wheelchair access through either a lift or a ramp.

According to ZAVIR, the vehicle architecture, electric drivetrain, accessibility systems and passenger interior were engineered together from the beginning of the development process. The concept also features a panoramic windshield, signature lighting, aerodynamic elements and a newly designed cockpit.

The platform is being developed for several medium-duty applications, including paratransit, campus transportation, airport shuttles and corporate services.

Unlike a conventional cutaway configuration, in which a passenger body is combined with a chassis developed separately, ZAVIR’s vehicle architecture has been designed specifically for the shuttle application. The manufacturer says the architecture, propulsion system, accessibility equipment and interior have therefore been developed as an integrated vehicle.

Battery-electric ZAVIR targets 150 miles, REEV over 450 miles

ZAVIR plans to offer two propulsion configurations. The battery-electric version has an estimated range of 150 miles and supports DC fast charging at up to 200 kW. Other specifications such as battery capacity and motor power output have not been specified in the press release announcing the launch.

A range-extended electric vehicle, or REEV, configuration is also under development. This version combines the electric propulsion system with what the manufacturer describes as a high-efficiency gasoline generator. It can be refuelled using standard fuel and has a targeted total range of more than 450 miles.

According to ENC, the two propulsion alternatives are intended to cover different route, budget and duty-cycle requirements.

The company stresses that the vehicle displayed in Chicago remains a concept. Its stated ranges, dimensions, passenger capacities and other specifications are design targets and may change during development.

ZAVIR Altoona testing is planned for 2027

ENC anticipates the ZAVIR shuttle completing FTA Altoona testing in 2027. Reservations are expected to open in late 2027, while commercial availability and the start of production at the company’s Jurupa Valley facility are currently estimated for 2028.

In brief

• What is the ZAVIR shuttle?
  A purpose-built Class 3 medium-duty shuttle platform developed by ENC for public and private US fleets.
• Which powertrains are planned?
  Battery-electric with an estimated 150-mile range and REEV with a targeted total range above 450 miles.
• How large is the vehicle?
  The concept is 22 feet long and 8 feet wide, with seating for up to 18 passengers plus standees.
• When is production expected?
  Altoona testing is targeted for 2027, with reservations planned for late 2027 and commercial production estimated for 2028.

“ZAVIR is ENC betting on the future and moving first,” said Jason Lee, Chief Executive Officer of ENC. “We spent fifty years learning what it takes to build vehicles that last, and we are putting all of it into a brand built to lead the medium-duty market. This concept vehicle is just the beginning, and there is much more to come.

“Operators have spent years making do with vans and cutaways that were never built for the job. ZAVIR changes that,” said Thomas Allen, Vice President of Shuttle Sales at ENC. “We engineered this shuttle from the ground up and for real-world budgets, around the people who ride it, drive it, and keep it running, and we built it for both public agencies and private fleets. We are showing it now so operators can help shape it before it reaches the market.”

“Building heavy-duty buses teaches you what survives real service and what fails early, because we have done it for decades,” said Mike Crostic, Vice President of Operations at ENC. “ZAVIR draws on that experience and the same Jurupa Valley operation and quality systems behind our transit buses, so that when this shuttle reaches production, it is ready for the demands of daily service, public or private.”