New Flyer takes largest order for electric buses in USA to date
By Bradley Osborne - 1st November 2021
Canada / USA – New Flyer Industries Canada ULC, a subsidiary of the NFI Group based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, has signed a five-year contract for the supply of up to 171 electric buses and 427 chargers to the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“CapMetro”), a public transport operator in Austin, Texas, USA. NFI claims this represents the largest ever procurement of electric buses in the USA to date.
The contract stipulates a firm order for 30 Xcelsior CHARGE NG battery-electric buses, of which 26 are 40 feet long and four are 60 feet. It also provides options to purchase 141 more buses – 126 40-foot buses and 15 60-foot ones – as well as 427 chargers (197 depot plug-in chargers, 197 depot overhead chargers and 33 on route chargers). These buses provide up to 525 kWh of energy capacity and 250 miles’ range on a single charge. NFI claims that each bus could save operators up to USD125,000 in maintenance costs and up to USD400,000 in fuel savings over its 12-year lifespan.
