SPRINGDALE -- Beginning Monday, Ozark Regional Transit will do a tw0-week test of a Ford E-Transit electric vehicle incorporated into the on-demand transit model in the Bentonville area.
The van is on loan from Creative Bus Sales and is equipped with a wheelchair lift, seating and all accessories required to be a fully functioning public transit vehicle, according to a news release from Ozark Transit.
The two-week test will be used to determine exactly how long the vehicle can operate in what would be its typical, daily duties, between charges. The first week won't include wheelchair pickups and the second week will.
The transit provider wants to compare the time available on a typical charge with and without the wheelchair lift in operation. Wheelchair-bound passengers will be accommodated with other vehicles in the area during the first week of the test.