UAE bus factory spin off for Rolleston plant

US bus maker DesignLine says a $US30 ($NZ39.4) million joint venture to build a factory in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will more than double the workforce at its Canterbury plant here.

The Abu Dhabi factory, a joint venture with American-based Liberty Automotive, will open later this year and will produce up to 300 electric buses each year, worth more than $US80m, the American owners of DesignLine said today.

The expected increase in demand for hybrid/electric buses was expected to more than double the 120-strong workforce at Rolleston, 22km southwest of Christchurch, and also in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Both locations will focus on adding high tech, full-time positions within the rapidly expanding clean energy sector," said vice president of sales and marketing James Gaspard.

UAE had been using DesignLine electric buses for more than a year and other Middle Eastern countries were negotiating with the company to convert their diesel transit fleets to either all-electric or hybrid vehicles, he said.

DesignLine NZ managing director Andrew Green said the details were yet to be finalised but he believed the Abu Dhabi project would mean prototypes, kitsets and components made here and then the buses assembled in the Middle East.

DesignLine NZ had reestablished its research and development arm and increased its workforce in anticipation of such a development.

It was timely news for DesignLine NZ and would see it increase its budget by about 50 percent, Mr Green said.

"This would probably see us get an extra 50 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months."

DesignLine was established in Ashburton in 1985 and was bought by American interests in 2006. In 2009 it shifted its Canterbury factory to Rolleston.

Add a Comment