Grande West Transportation (TSX-V: BUS) (OTCQX: GWTNF) is a Canadian based company that engineers and designs mid-size multi-purpose transit vehicles known as Vicinity, for both commercial and public entities. Shares of Grande West have been in overdrive lately due to the fact that BUS is making big strides in the development of its very first electric transit vehicle called the Vicinity LT EV, and today we will be going over some recent developments from Grande West and what has caused shares of BUS go into overdrive and soar over 115% in the last 30 days! 

On October 8th 2020, BUS announced that the company has received a purchase order of nearly $2 Million with the Region of Waterloo which comprises of four Vicinity buses. In addition to its press release, BUS also announced that it has completed the delivery of thirty-four (34) compressed natural gas (“CNG”) Vicinity buses. The CEO of BUS Mr. William Trainer was quoted "Grande West is proud to be part of reducing harmful emissions and making a positive environmental impact with a greener choice by offering CNG powered Vicinity Buses. We're constantly striving for cleaner and greener options to help transit reduce its overall greenhouse gas footprint”. According to its press release, BUS currently has more than 500 Vicinity buses that are in operation in both Canada and the United States. 

At the beginning of November, BUS announced a major partnership with LION Smart GmbH to integrate BMW technology to further the development of its first electric vehicle called the Vicinity LT EV. BUS has partnered with LION Smart GmbH to develop and integrate power management systems which includes software, mechanical and electrical adaptation, battery management and LION Smart will also be responsible for the incorporation of 400 Volt BMW battery packs in the Vicinity LT EV. Yes, the same battery packs that are used to power the almighty BMW i3, will be the same battery solution used to power up BUS’s Vicinity LT EV. The company expects to order a significant supply of t battery packs in 2021 following the completion of the development phase and the demonstration model of the Vicinity LT EV is set to be delivered to BUS during Q1 of 2021.

In addition to its partnership news with LionSmart, BUS announced on November 3rd 2020  that the company has partnered with Hofer Powertrain, a drivetrain system supplier based in Germany, to integrate and implement management solutions and the electric vehicle powertrain for Grande West’s Vicinity LT EV bus. This partnership with Hofer Powertrain will allow BUS to enhance the energy efficiency of its transit vehicles by optimizing its weight, performance and reliability. The CEO of BUS Mr. William Trainer was quoted “…We have taken our time to research and develop the Vicinity EV and partnered with the global industry elite to bring the highest quality, proven automotive technology to the transit market. This strategy will allow us to stay technologically advanced and competitively priced using high-quality automotive "off-the-shelf" components”. These two recent partnerships with global industry leaders are a testament on the importance of quality and performance that Grande West is focused on delivering to the electric transit industry! 

Grande West Transportation (TSX-V: BUS) (OTCQX: GWTNF) has continued to impress investors by delivering great developments lately which has resulted in its share price to soar, and on Friday November 20th 2020, BUS announced that the company has received a purchase order totaling $5,000,000 from Keolis Canada. Keolis Canada is a part of the Keolis Group, a global leader in shared mobility that operates in 16 countries across 4 continents and transports approximately 3 billion passengers EVERYDAY! The $5,000,000 purchase order is for thirteen (13) Vicinity clean diesel buses which will be used to service the L’Assomption area, a sector east of Montréal which includes municipalities such as L'Épiphanie, L'Assomption, Saint-Sulpice, Repentigny, Charlemagne and Lavaltrie. The CEO of BUS Mr. William Trainer stated "The Vicinity has a strong history in Québec and we are very pleased to be partnering with Keolis to service the surrounding Montreal areas. We expect to continue to be more active in the area as we introduce our new Vicinity EV in the coming weeks. Our new lighter duty shuttle with electric powertrain is a perfect fit for many routes under service”. The delivery of the Vicinity clean diesel bus to Keolis Canada is expected to be out for delivery in 2021. 

As announced on November 17th 2020, Grande West will be announcing its third quarter (Q3) financials after market close on Monday November 23rd 2020, and investors that are interested to learn more about BUS should tune into the company’s earnings call which is being held on Tuesday November 23rd, 2020 at 11AM eastern time. Investors can tune in to the conference call by dialing 1 (877)481-4010 and using the PIN# 38806. Investors should also note that BUS intends to share specifications and provided a detailed overview of the Vicinity LT EV before market open next Tuesday prior to the company’s earnings call. We firmly believe that shares of BUS are set to print a lot higher in the following months as the company’s new electric transit vehicle comes closer to fruition and ready to hit the market in 2021!

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