The partners will propose solutions applied to vehicles integrating PVI electric powertrains, notably:

• The Oréos 2X, Gépébus vehicle, a minibus with 22 seats, equipped with 85 kWh of battery power;

• The Oréos 4X, Gépébus vehicle, a midibus with 49 seats, equipped with 170 kWh of battery power;

• The Aptinéo, Véhixel vehicle, a minicar with 26 seats, equipped with 85 kWh of battery power;

• The Maxity électrique, a Renault Trucks vehicle, equipped with 42 kWh of battery power.

Within the framework of this agreement, each buyer of an Oréos autobus from Gépébus or an Aptinéo minicar from Véhixel will be able to sign a rental and service contract with SODETREL. Under the terms of this contract, SODETREL will provide a total guarantee for the proper functioning of the batteries for the entire rental period, and will take care of the necessary preventive maintenance and repairs. The duration of the contracts will be from 48 to 60 months depending on the vehicles.

This agreement is designed to meet the needs of customers who are seeking to spread the upfront costs of the batteries over several years, while also being reassured about the reliability of the battery pack onboard each vehicle. The partners say the agreement represents a step forward for the development in France and Europe of electric vehicles for the transport of people and merchandise in urban settings.

The commitment from SODETREL comes after a series of tests performed on the Valence Technology batteries which yielded satisfying results.

This offer has been made available to the customers of PVI since May 2011. PVI is the first manufacturer of road vehicles to offer rental and services contracts with SODETREL for Lithium-Ion batteries.

(A hat-tip to Peter!)