Pareto Mobility opens bus manufacturing facility in Michigan

Pareto Mobility LLC has opened a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing and assembly facility at the Burroughs campus in Plymouth, Michigan. Led by founder and CEO AJ Kumar, the move marks the return of commercial bus manufacturing to the state following the 2021 cessation of operations by Champion Bus.

The facility will produce the Step-Free™ bus, described as North America’s first fully flat, low-floor commercial bus. The design aims to improve accessibility for transit agencies, healthcare providers, and senior-living communities by eliminating interior steps and traditional wheelchair lifts in favor of a ramp-based boarding system. The vehicle is designed to accommodate seated passengers alongside up to four wheelchair users.

Pareto Mobility plans to sell these vehicles through dealers across the United States and deliver them to customers in both the U.S. and Canada.