About Us:

Product
Beginning seven years ago, under the sponsorship of the Department of Energy Freedom Car initiative, the Michigan based Autokinetics Incorporated began the development of an innovative hybrid bus design using ultra-lightweight stainless steel monocoque assembly techniques.  The new 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid design has a stronger chassis than its conventional counterparts, but weights 50% less. 

On July 22, 2008, Fisher Coachworks of Troy Michigan and Autokinetics of Rochester Hills announced plans to bring a family of innovative lightweight chassis designs to market.  The guiding principles for this new venture include a commitment to ultra-lightweight, high-quality, 100% recyclable chassis materials designed to provide exceptional fuel economy, safety, and service life.

Among a number of other innovations, the unique series hybrid power system drives the bus primarily with stored electrical energy.  This approach reverses the paradigm of current parallel hybrid designs where electrical energy is only used to supplement the acceleration torque requirements for a somewhat downsized diesel engine.  As a result of these innovative design concepts, the Fisher bus delivers fuel efficiency of more than 10 MPG as compared with the 3-5 MPG performance of its direct hybrid competitors. At this time, the company is nearing final assembly of its first fully operational vehicle, and it will soon be available for on-road performance testing.  We expect that the bus will be brought to market with deliveries beginning in 2010.

Design and Technology
The Fisher Hybrid combines advanced structural design, manufacturing, and interior design elements to create not only the world’s most efficient bus platform, but also one whose ride dynamics and passenger experience are unmatched in the industry. Fisher Coachworks has licensed the worldwide manufacturing technology including US Patent number 6,685,254 from Autokinetics.  Additional IP assets are under development, and follow-on designs for other transit and delivery vehicles are under consideration using the same patented manufacturing technology.