Gillig Low Floor

Gillig Low Floor
Typical Gillig Low Floor bus, operated by the Detroit Department of Transportation
Overview
ManufacturerGillig
Also calledGillig H2000LF
Gillig Advantage
Production1996–present
AssemblyUnited States:
Hayward, California (1996–2017)
Livermore, California (2017–present)
Body and chassis
ClassTransit bus
Body styleSingle-decker bus
Doors
  • 2 doors
  • 1 door (suburban configuration)
  • Mid-entry (1 door, airport shuttle)
Floor typeLow entry
ChassisIntegral
Powertrain
Engine
Caterpillar
  • Caterpillar C9
Capacity
  • 29-foot: 28
  • 35-foot: 32
  • 40-foot: 40
Transmission
  • Allison B300R
  • Allison B400R
  • Allison H 40 EP (Hybrid)
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • 29-foot: 163 in (4,140.2 mm)
  • 35-foot: 235 in (5,969.0 mm)
  • 40-foot: 284 in (7,213.6 mm)
Length29–40 ft (8.8–12.2 m)
Width102 in (2,590.8 mm)
Height
  • 29-foot: 115 in (2,921.0 mm)
  • 35-, 40-foot:116 in (2,946.4 mm)
Curb weightCurb Weight: 29960 lbs., GVWR: 39600 lbs
Chronology
PredecessorGillig Phantom

The Gillig Low Floor (alternatively known as the Gillig Advantage[1]) is a low-floor transit bus manufactured by Gillig for the U.S. market since 1997.[2] It is produced in three nominal lengths (29, 35, and 40 foot) with several different powertrain options, including diesel and compressed natural gas engines, and diesel-electric hybrid, battery-electric, and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains.

The Low Floor was the second low-floor bus sold in the United States (following the older New Flyer Low Floor). It was initially produced alongside the high-floor Gillig Phantom, but replaced the Phantom entirely by 2008. Since 2008, the Low Floor line is the only product produced by Gillig. The Low Floor is currently assembled at Gillig's factory in Livermore, California; prior to 2017, it was assembled in Hayward, California.[3]

Variants

BRT Plus, with curved front fascia and raised roof, operated by MARTA
Low Floor Plus, with modified front fascia and raised roof, operated by VTA
Trolley Replica, operated by EMTA

The Low Floor line is produced in five distinct body styles, which all share the same basic structure and chassis:

  • The original, standard Gillig Low Floor has a traditional rectangular body and rectangular sealed-beam headlamps.
  • The modified Gillig BRT variant (produced since 2005) incorporates a curved front fascia, round projector headlamps, and a modified rear design. It is roughly one foot longer than a standard Low Floor.[4]
  • The BRT Plus variant (introduced in 2011) incorporates the BRT variant's styling with a higher roofline.
  • The Low Floor Plus variant (introduced in 2017) has a flatter modified front fascia with round projector headlamps, and a raised roof similar to the BRT Plus.
  • The Gillig Trolley Replica variant is a trolley-replica bus based on the standard Low Floor body, produced in collaboration with Cable Car Classics of Healdsburg, California.[5][6] Its exterior styling resembles a historic streetcar, and includes faux wood trim, stylized lettering and paint accents, and an artificially raised roof. It has a modified interior with wooden seats, and brass and leather accents.

All five body styles are available in 29-foot, 35-foot, and 40-foot nominal lengths, and with conventional diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, and CNG powertrains. The battery-electric powertrain is only offered with the Low Floor Plus body.

Design history

The Gillig Low Floor began life in the mid-1990s as Gillig was approached by Hertz Corporation, who sought a shuttle bus for its airport locations (to replace its fleet of GMC RTS buses).[7][8] Featuring a carpeted interior, luggage racks, and a central entry door, the primary design requirement of Hertz was a low-floor entry for those carrying luggage or with limited mobility.[7] In 1996, the first buses for Hertz (named the Gillig H2000LF) entered production, with Hertz placing the H2000LF in service at Logan International Airport in Boston (expanding to other airports in the United States). Gillig would produce the H2000LF for Hertz through 2005, as the design was replaced by standard Gillig Low Floor buses.[8]

In 1997, Gillig developed the H2000LF shuttle bus into the Low Floor transit bus. Several changes were made to the design, distinguished primarily by the reconfiguration of the entry doors (replacing the central entry with dual entry doors).

Following the renaming of the model line, Gillig introduced the Low Floor as an expansion of its product range, marketed alongside the step-entrance Phantom.

  • Selected updates and variations
  • H2000LF (1998) for Hertz; note large, printed destination/headsign and center door
  • Low Floor (2006) for SORTA; note smaller headsign; top of windshield now aligned with top of sliding side windows
  • Low Floor (2014) for SamTrans; note larger door glass (square corners) and frameless side windows
  • Low Floor (2014) for VTA, suburban configuration

During its production, the Low Floor has undergone several revisions to its body design. In 2002, the windshield was enlarged (with the use of a smaller destination sign) and the side windows were reduced in width.[7] After 2003, the rear side split windows that were configured upside down were reconfigured to match the rest of the side windows; frameless windows later became an option (with or without split openings).[7]

In 2005, the Low Floor model line was expanded by the addition of the Low Floor BRT, adding restyled front and rear bodywork and a front roof fairing; the Trolley Replica (not a trolleybus) restyled the standard Low Floor body as a vintage trolley.

In 2008, the entry doors were revised, adopting larger glass panels (distinguished by squared-off corners). A suburban configuration was introduced alongside the standard transit Low Floor (replacing the version previously offered on the Gillig Phantom). Distinguished by its lack of a rear entry door, the suburban Low Floor was configured with forward-facing seating, internal luggage racks, onboard Wi-Fi, and other passenger-related options.[9]

For 2011, the Low Floor BRT Plus was introduced. Coinciding with the introduction of CNG and diesel-electric hybrid powertrains, the Plus adopted a full-length body fairing to accommodate CNG tanks and hybrid equipment on the roof. In 2017, a Low Floor Plus was introduced, combining the roof fairing of the BRT Plus with the body of the standard Low Floor.

A battery-electric powertrain developed by Cummins was made available for the Low Floor Plus variant starting in 2019. The launch client for the Gillig/Cummins battery-electric bus was Big Blue Bus, serving Santa Monica, California.[10][11] A battery-electric Low Floor (29-foot) was tested at Altoona in 2018, using a drivetrain adapted from the BAE HybriDrive powertrain.[12]

In April 2024, Gillig announced a hydrogen fuel cell variant of the bus, beginning production in 2026.[13]

Overview

Of the two body configurations for low-floor buses, the Gillig Low Floor is a low-entry bus (the front two-thirds to three-fourths of the interior is low-floor) with a low-step entry (nearly curb height) and integrated manual wheelchair ramp while the rear part of the interior (behind the rear axle) is raised to provide sufficient space for the powertrain.

The Gillig Low Floor is produced in three nominal body lengths in its standard transit bus configuration: 40 ft (12.2 m).[14] Maximum seating capacity is 40 passengers for the 40-foot length. The turning radius of the Gillig Low Floor is 43 ft (13.1 m) (40 foot body).

Powertrain

Conventional (internal combustion)

Currently (as of 2019 production), the Gillig Low Floor range is equipped with three engines: the Cummins B6.7 diesel, Cummins L9 diesel, and Cummins L9N compressed natural gas inline-six engines. Throughout its production, the Gillig Low Floor has featured a range of Cummins engines along with Caterpillar and Detroit Diesel engines.

Allison, Voith, and ZF automatic transmissions are available.

Diesel-electric hybrid

Since 2004, the Gillig Low Floor has been available in a diesel-electric hybrid configuration with the Cummins ISB engine; hybrid models are identified by their roof-mounted battery pack. Hybrid models have been produced with Allison,[15][16] BAE,[17][18][19] and Voith[20] series- and parallel-hybrid powertrains. In 2008, the Allison hybrid drivetrain was 81% more expensive than a conventional bus, which was partially subsidized by federal grants and expected savings in fuel and maintenance costs.[21]

The Gillig/Voith hybrid, branded DIWAhybrid, is a mild parallel hybrid system using Maxwell ultracapacitor on-board energy storage,[22] and was tested to have an observed overall average fuel consumption of 4.75 mpg‑US (49.5 L/100 km; 5.70 mpg‑imp).[20]: 62  The Gillig/BAE series hybrid, branded HybriDrive,[23] had comparable fuel consumption, at 4.64 mpg‑US (50.7 L/100 km; 5.57 mpg‑imp) (40-foot)[18]: 50  and 3.96–6.14 mpg‑US (59.4–38.3 L/100 km; 4.76–7.37 mpg‑imp) (40-foot, Manhattan and HD-UDDS driving cycles, respectively).[19]: 31  The Gillig/Allison dual-mode (series/parallel) hybrid was similar, at 3.64–6.40 mpg‑US (64.6–36.8 L/100 km; 4.37–7.69 mpg‑imp) (40-foot (12.2 m), Manhattan and HD-UDDS driving cycles).[15]: 30 

Battery electric

A fully electric configuration was introduced in 2019, with serial production commencing in 2020;[10] it was developed as a prototype at the request of Big Blue Bus, (who was the lead customer for the model[24][25]) which had reduced an order of 20 CNG buses to 19 in order to test an all-electric powertrain system developed by Cummins (branded "Cummins Battery Electric System").[26] The buses use plug-in charging with a SAE J1772 CCS Type 1 connector,[27] and an overhead pantograph (SAE J3105–1) connection is available.[28]

As tested by the Bus Research and Testing Center in Altoona, a 40-foot (12.2 m) battery-electric bus, with a gross capacity of 444 kW-hr (355 kW-hr usable) at 750 VDC, achieved a range of 129 to 187 mi (208 to 301 km), depending on the driving cycle (Manhattan and EPA HD-UDDS, respectively; the Orange County cycle fell in between).[29]: 11, 92  Observed energy consumption was 3.04 kW⋅h/mi (11.1 mpg‑e) (Manhattan), 2.27 kW⋅h/mi (14.8 mpg‑e) (Orange County), and 2.09 kW⋅h/mi (16.1 mpg‑e) (HD-UDDS).[29]: 87  The Cummins TM4 traction motor had a rated output of 262.5 to 562.5 kW (352 to 754 hp).[29]: 11 

Trolleybus

Gillig partnered with Kiepe Electric to build 45 "NexGen" trolleybuses for the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA); Gillig was responsible for the chassis, based on the Low Floor BRT/CNG, and Kiepe supplied the traction motor, battery, and trolley pole equipment. The contract was awarded by RTA in 2013 and the resulting buses featured "in-motion charging", using the trolley wires to charge an on-board battery that provided an off-wire range of up to 20 mi (32 km). This meant that buses could detour around stalled traffic and the system could be expanded without installing more overhead wire; to facilitate off-wire operation, the driver could move the poles up and down without leaving their seat.[30] Four prototypes were supplied in 2014: two used diesel engines to operate off-wire, while the other two used storage batteries. The remaining 41 would be equipped with storage batteries; the prototypes would be tested for more than five years before the first of the 41 regular production models arrived in August 2019.[31] The final bus was delivered in September 2020.[30]

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Announced in 2024 with production beginning in 2026,[13] this variant comes in two variants with ranges of either 320 or 375 miles (515 or 604 km) using Ballard fuel cells.[32]

Engine and transmission options

The Gillig Low Floor series is currently and formerly available the following engine and transmission options:

Engines
Engine Fuel Production Availability Notes
Caterpillar C9 Diesel 2003–2009 BRT
Trolley
Cummins C8.3 Diesel 1996–1998 Low Floor
Cummins ISB Diesel 2008–present (ISB6.7)
2004–2007 (ISB) 		BRT
Trolley 		Used for diesel-electric hybrid powertrains
Cummins ISC Diesel 1998–2003 Low Floor
Cummins ISL Diesel 2001–2010 H2000LF
Low Floor
BRT
Trolley
Cummins ISL9 2011–2016
Cummins L9 2017–present King County Metro diesel-electric hybrid versions use this engine instead of Cummins ISB6.7
Cummins Westport ISL G CNG 2010–2017 Low Floor
BRT
Cummins Westport L9N 2017–present
Cummins M11E Diesel 1996–1999 Low Floor
Cummins ISM Diesel 1999–2009 Low Floor
BRT
Trolley
Cummins Electric 2019+ Low Floor Plus Permanent magnet traction motor; peak/continuous power and torque: 350 / 225 kW (469 / 302 hp; 476 / 306 PS) and 3,400 / 850 N⋅m (2,510 / 630 lb⋅ft)[10][33]
Detroit Diesel Series 40E Diesel 1997–2003 H2000LF
Low Floor 		Also known as the Navistar DT530E engine
Detroit Diesel Series 50 Diesel 1996–2005 Low Floor
Ford Triton V10[7] Gasoline 2009 BRT Gillig BRT only
Produced in a single order of gasoline-hybrid buses for LeeTran.
Vossloh-Kiepe Trolleybus 2014–2021 BRTPlus For Dayton RTA's trolleybus system
Transmissions
Transmission Production Availability Notes
Allison B300R 1996–present All
Allison B400R 1996–present All
Voith D863.3 / D864.3
Voith D863.3E / D864.3E 		1996–2005 H2000LF
Low Floor
Voith D864.5 2005–present BRT
Trolley
ZF 5/6HP592C 2001–2007 Low Floor
BRT
Trolley
ZF 5/6HP594C 2007–2010 Low Floor
BRT
Trolley
ZF Ecolife 2010–present Low Floor
BRT
Allison EP40/H 40 EP[7] 2004–present Low Floor
BRT
Trolley 		Parallel diesel-electric hybrid powertrain
BAE Systems HybriDrive[7] 2011–present Low Floor Series diesel-electric powertrain
ISE Corporation ThunderVolt[34] 2009 BRT Gasoline-electric hybrid (Ford V10)
Voith DIWAhybrid[7] 2008–present Low Floor
BRT
Trolley 		Parallel diesel-electric hybrid powertrain

See also

References

  1. ^ "Gillig Low Floor | Alliance Bus Group". www.alliancebusgroup.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  2. ^ "GILLIG". GILLIG. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  3. ^ "Final day in Hayward as bus manufacturing titan Gillig heads to Livermore". The Mercury News. May 19, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  4. ^ "Minn. Valley receives 2 Gillig BRT buses". Metro Magazine. August 27, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  5. ^ Hubbard, David (June 1, 2011). "Apollo Trolley makeover lends vintage appeal". BUSRide. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  6. ^ "Ben Franklin Transit adds 3 Gillig low-floor buses". Metro Magazine. November 17, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Gillig Low Floor – CPTDB Wiki". cptdb.ca. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Hertz Corporation – CPTDB Wiki". cptdb.ca. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  9. ^ "GILLIG". GILLIG. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Roman, Alex (January 2, 2020). "A Closer Look at GILLIG, Cummins Battery Electric Bus Partnership". Metro Magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Wanek-Libman, Mischa (August 23, 2019). "Big Blue Bus welcomes first zero-emissions vehicle to fleet". Mass Transit. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Federal Transit Bus Test: Gillig 29' Low Floor electric (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center. May 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "GILLIG Expands Zero-Emission Lineup with Introduction of BAE Systems & Ballard-Powered Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus". Gillig. March 11, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  14. ^ Brophy, Jim (July 2, 2016). "Bus Stop Classics: Gillig Low Floor Bus — Last Out of the Gate, But It Had an Advantage". Curbside Classic. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Federal Transit Bus Test, Gillig Model 40-foot Low Floor Hybrid | Test Report PTI-BT-R1813-P (Report). Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Bus Research and Testing Center. February 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "Allison, GILLIG and Cummins Partner on IndyGo Hybrid Electric Buses". Gillig Corporation (Press release). Inside Indiana Business. July 19, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  17. ^ "BAE Systems HybriDrive Series Green Propulsion System Orders Surpass 3,500" (Press release). BAE Systems. May 23, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Federal Transit Bus Test, Gillig Model 40' Low Floor BAE Hybrid | Test Report PTI-BT-R1206-P (Report). Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Bus Research and Testing Center. July 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Federal Transit Bus Test, Gillig Model Low Floor Hybrid | Test Report PTI-BT-R1801-P (Report). Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Bus Research and Testing Center. April 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Federal Transit Bus Test, Gillig Model Low Floor | Test Report PTI-BT-R0914 (Report). Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Bus Research and Testing Center. March 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  21. ^ Sherman, Steven (August 6, 2008). "The Ride: AATA Gillig Hybrid Electric Bus". Automobile. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  22. ^ "Voith Turbo Selects Maxwell Ultracapacitor Modules for DIWAhybrid System for Transit Buses". Green Car Congress. March 3, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  23. ^ "BAE Systems HybriDrive Series Green Propulsion System Orders Surpass 3,500" (Press release). BAE Systems. May 23, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  24. ^ GILLIG (August 26, 2019). "Big Blue Bus Reveals New GILLIG Battery Electric Bus". GILLIG. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  25. ^ "Our First Battery Electric Bus Has Arrived! - Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  26. ^ Staff Report 3091: Purchase of One Battery Electric 40-Foot Bus from Gillig LLC (Report). City of Santa Monica, California. July 24, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  27. ^ "Welcome aboard". Gillig / Cummins. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  28. ^ "2020 Bus and Truck Council Meeting — GILLIG Update" (PDF). Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  29. ^ a b c Federal Transit Bus Test, Gillig Model 40-Foot Low Floor Battery Electric Bus | Test Report 2020-05 (Report). Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Bus Research and Testing Center. June 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Olson, Jessica; Mosby, Stephen (February 17, 2021). "Dreams become reality as last innovative NexGen bus rolls into Dayton". Mass Transit. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  31. ^ "First new trolleybuses in Dayton/Ohio with In-Motion-Charging". Urban Transport Magazine. August 29, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  32. ^ "Hydrogen Fuel Cell". Gillig. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  33. ^ "Cummins New Power" (PDF). Wisconsin Clean Cities. August 5, 2020. p. 11. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  34. ^ "Gillig BRT – CPTDB Wiki". cptdb.ca. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
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