Optimal Launches New Gas Powered Low-Floor Shuttle Bus, A Proven Platform – Now with More Choice

December 22, 2025 — Optimal, a leader in purpose-built low-floor shuttle buses, today announced the launch of its newest model: a gas low-floor shuttle bus built on the Ford E-450 chassis, offering agencies a new fuel option while maintaining the company’s signature accessibility-first design and automotive-grade engineering.

The new model expands Optimal’s low-floor product family—previously available only as a battery-electric shuttle—onto a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) platform. This addition gives transit agencies, airports, universities, corporate campuses, and operators a flexible, high-performance alternative that leverages the same low-floor architecture, durability, and operational advantages that define Optimal’s EV models.

“Our engineering philosophy has always been simple,” said Song Young, President & CEO of Optimal. “Build a low-floor vehicle that is safe, accessible, and engineered to automotive standards. By bringing our low-floor design to the Ford E-450 chassis, we can now offer agencies more flexibility in powertrains without compromising rider experience or operational performance.”

Engineered on the widely adopted Ford E-450 platform, the new gas low-floor shuttle is designed to reduce total cost of ownership while increasing deployment flexibility, making it an ideal fit for agencies navigating funding constraints, mixed-fuel fleets, or routes that are not yet ready for electrification. It provides agencies with a familiar, serviceable, and highly supported powertrain while enabling a true low-floor configuration, long considered the gold standard for passenger accessibility and paratransit efficiency.

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Designed Around Accessibility and Operational Efficiency

Optimal’s low-floor architecture eliminates lifts and front entry steps entirely, allowing riders of all ages and abilities—including those using mobility devices—to enter and exit the vehicle safely, independently, and in a fraction of the time required by traditional cutaway buses.  This barrier-free design improves dwell times, reduces operator strain, and enhances the overall passenger experience.

Key benefits of the new low-floor gas (LFg) shuttle include:

• Full low-floor entry with ramp deployment for seamless boarding
• Shorter dwell times, improving schedule reliability and efficiency
• Automotive-grade structure designed by Optimal’s Detroit-based engineering team
• Improved driver ergonomics and visibility
• Reduced maintenance costs with simplified accessibility systems and fewer wear points
• Operational flexibility, allowing agencies to match routes with the right powertrain strategy

“With more than 125 Optimal systems deployed across North America, agencies trust our platform because it works,” said Jeff Hiatt, Executive Vice President “This launch gives them a new way to take advantage of our proven design using a chassis they already know and support.”

Engineering Excellence Rooted in Automotive Innovation

Optimal’s product lineup is built on decades of engineering leadership. Founded in 1986, the company began as an advanced Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) firm supporting major automotive OEMs. That same expertise now drives Optimal’s shuttle bus platforms, which are engineered for long-term durability, safety, and uptime.

“Our engineering team approached this vehicle with the same rigor as our EV platform,” said Dr. Song Young, Founder & CEO of Optimal. “The result is a low-floor shuttle that meets the day-to-day demands of transit operations—without sacrificing stability, rider comfort, or structural strength.”

Built for the Real World

Designed for agencies seeking modern accessibility without the immediate transition to electrification, the LFg shuttle supports a wide range of use cases:

• Public Transit & Paratransit
• Microtransit & On-Demand Services
• Airports & Parking Operations
• Universities & Corporate Campuses
• Senior Mobility & Community Circulators
• Hospitality, Resort, and Park Shuttles

The new model also creates a streamlined fleet approach for mixed-powertrain environments. Agencies can adopt EV and ICE low-floor vehicles simultaneously while maintaining consistent training, passenger experience, parts commonality, and serviceability

Availability

The new Optimal LFg is available for order beginning December 22, 2025, with production slots opening in January 2026 through Optimal’s authorized dealer network.

To request specifications, pricing, or a demonstration, contact your local dealer:

• A - Z Bus Sales
• ABC Bus
• The Bus Center, a Hoekstra Family Company
• Carolina Thomas 
• Central States Bus Sales 
• City View Bus Sales
• Davey Coach Bus Sales
• Dynamic Specialty Vehicles
• Rohrer Bus
• Schekty Bus & Van Sales 
• Soderholm
• Sonny Merryman 

About Optimal

Optimal is a mobility technology and vehicle engineering company specializing in purpose-built low-floor shuttle buses for transit, airport, university, and private-fleet operations. With more than 125 vehicles deployed across North America, Optimal delivers accessibility-driven, automotive-grade solutions powered by decades of engineering expertise and innovation.

Press Contact:

Ivy Compton, Sales Manager, West 

Ivy.compton@optimal-ev.com

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