Clean And Green DesignLine Hybrid Bus Rolls Into Service In Baltimore

City Unveils 1st of 21 Environmentally Friendly Vehicles Featuring Quiet, Smooth
Ride
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(Business Wire)--
DesignLine USA, LLC, a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative hybrid
and electric vehicles for the public transport market, announced that the first
of 21 buses ordered by the City of Baltimore was unveiled today at a ceremony to
mark a new era in the city`s public transit history.

The DesignLine EcoSaver IV bus introduced to Baltimore residents by Mayor Sheila
Dixon features a unique proprietary hybrid propulsion system that, based on
actual user experience:

* Can operate in "zero-emission" mode on battery power up to 40 percent of the
time;
* Can reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 70 percent;
* Can reduce fuel consumption up to 40 percent, and
* Contributes to a ride that is at least 35 percent quieter than typical city
buses

"We are proud to partner with Baltimore to provide a fuel-efficient,
low-emission solution to the city`s public transportation needs, and we applaud
Mayor Dixon for her leadership on efforts to build a better, greener Baltimore,"
said Brad C. Glosson, chief executive of DesignLine International Holdings, LLC,
the parent company of DesignLine USA. "With this kind of leadership at the local
level, combined with the Obama administration`s strong commitment to investing
in energy-efficient technologies, we see a tremendous opportunity for cities
across the country to take similar steps that will reduce our nation`s carbon
footprint while creating new jobs in green industries like ours."

DesignLine is currently awaiting word from the Department of Energy on two
federal grant applications designed to encourage the use of hybrid and electric
buses and the development of green technologies. One under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 would provide 50 percent matching funds to public
and private agencies to purchase up to 286 buses; the grant would require
DesignLine to hire 150 new employees this year and up to 300 over the life of
the grant. The other grant would provide funding to DesignLine to ramp up U.S.
production of the large lithium-ion batteries that are a critical component of
its hybrid buses.

DesignLine began building buses in 1985 and in 2006 moved its global
headquarters to Charlotte, N.C., where it opened a manufacturing facility last
year. The company`s vehicles have received an enthusiastic reception from the
nation`s largest public transit agencies not only because of DesignLine`s
unrivaled hybrid propulsion system but also because of the vehicle`s structure
and interior appointments, which provide a smooth, quiet ride and overall
superior comfort for passengers.

"People love to ride our buses, and that`s important," Glosson said. "We can
have a positive impact on the environment by simply putting more efficient buses
like the EcoSaver IV into service, but we can make a bigger difference if we can
increase ridership of public transit, and to do that people have to really look
forward to and enjoy the experience of riding the bus."

DesignLine is scheduled to deliver the remaining buses in the city`s 21-unit
order by fall 2009.

About DesignLine USA

DesignLine USA is a subsidiary of DesignLine International Holdings, LLC, a
Charlotte, N.C.-based company. The DesignLine family of companies prides itself
on having a worldwide reputation for quality and service. This reputation,
coupled with DesignLine`s recognized alternative propulsion systems, has allowed
DesignLine to successfully penetrate markets worldwide from the U.S. to
Australia, the U.K. and Japan.

DesignLine
Jennifer Matthews, 704-716-1020
jennifermatthews@designlineinternational.com
or
LGA
David Coburn, 704-552-6565
coburn@lgapr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009