One proven platform. Every propulsion.
Transit’s propulsion needs have rarely had a “one size fits all” answer. Agencies land in different places for good reasons, and a manufacturer’s job is to build whichever answer they reach, on schedule, and at a price that delivers value, trust, and reliability.
ENC builds all propulsions for today’s transit agencies, and prides itself on an ability to deliver quality buses on a compressed timeline.
The company traces its origins to 1975 and has manufactured buses at its Riverside County facility since 2003. What matters more to a fleet planner in 2026 is the plant running today. ENC’s Jurupa Valley campus covers 227,000 square feet on 17 acres, holds ISO 9001 certification, and employs roughly 300 people with a pathway to about 500 at full production capacity.
Since Rivaz Inc. took ownership in 2024, more than $50 million has been invested or committed toward facility upgrades, workforce development and upskilling, and planned expansion. ENC’s supply base spans more than 30 states.
Clean diesel. Compressed natural gas (CNG). Diesel-electric hybrid. Battery-electric. Altoona-tested configurations designed to meet Buy America requirements, with final assembly and integration at ENC’s Riverside County facility, and all proven configurations of one platform.
“Agencies know their systems better than we do,” said John Obert, Vice President of Transit Sales at ENC. “Our job is to build a bus that meets the needs of their duty cycle, community ridership, and operating environment.”
One platform, proven drivelines
The AXESS heavy-duty platform runs 33 to 40 feet. The battery-electric AXESS EVO-BE delivers 492 kWh at 33 feet, 615 kWh at 35 feet, and 738 kWh at 40 feet on a BAE Systems Gen3 electric drive with Proterra energy storage, seating 27, 35, and 43 passengers. All three lengths are Altoona-tested.
Diesel, CNG, and hybrid AXESS models share the same low-floor architecture, the same non-ferritic 304-grade stainless steel structure, and the same full air ride suspension and air disc brakes. The mid-size E-Z Rider II covers 30 to 35 feet.
Commonality isn’t a marketing line. It’s what holds cost, training time, and parts inventory down across a twelve-year service life.
“Drive one of our buses and you’ve largely driven them all,” said Mike Crostic, Vice President of Operations at ENC. “The differences live in the driveline. A mixed ENC fleet doesn’t mean two training programs and two parts rooms.”
Support follows the same logic. ENC ships most in-stock parts orders within 24 hours, direct from Riverside, with no dealer in between.
Different fleets, different choices
Recent awards show the range in practice, across public agencies and private operators alike.
SEPTA named ENC its manufacturing partner of choice for diesel-electric hybrid buses backed by a $43 million Federal Transit Administration award under the FY25 Low and No Emission and Bus and Bus Facilities programs.
Croswell VIP Motorcoach Services chose six 40-foot clean diesel AXESS buses for Ark Encounter service in Kentucky. Academy Bus placed a third consecutive order inside a year, bringing its AXESS fleet to 35. York Region Transit ordered three 32-foot clean diesel E-Z Rider II buses. Metropolis ordered thirty six 35-foot AXESS® CNG heavy-duty transit buses that will serve the Houston Airport System.
Different fleets, different duty cycles, different answers. One platform, one manufacturing facility.
In June, ENC joined the NEORide consortium as an approved supplier, opening a direct path to more than 40 agencies across 12 states. In August the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation named ENC an approved manufacturer on a five-year cooperative contract, a base of 49 buses with options for 50 more, open to PART, Winston-Salem Transit Authority, and Link Transit. ENC also holds a place on Washington State’s statewide transit bus contract.
Readiness is the strategy
Duty cycles, grades, weather, and depot power differ from Philadelphia to Winston-Salem to Williamstown. The demands on a bus don’t: it has to arrive on time, pass inspection, and enter service as efficiently and dependably as possible – just like its useful operating life over the next decade or more.
“Every propulsion in our portfolio is engineered, tested, and ready to go into production,” Obert said. “When an agency makes its decision, we’re ready to build.”
See the platform and meet the ENC team at APTA EXPO in Chicago, October 4-7, at booth #1006.
Learn more at eldorado-ca.com.