NFI receives contract for up to 157 electric buses from Pennsylvania’s PRT
by CM staff
NFI will add 157 sixty-foot buses to its backlog.
Photo: NFI Group.
ST. CLOUD — New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (NFI), an independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, announced that it has received a five-year contract from Port Authority of Allegheny County, d.b.a. Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) for 15 zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ sixty-foot heavy-duty transit buses (30 equivalent units or “EUs”), and 54 clean-diesel Xcelsior® sixty-foot buses (108 EUs), for a total of 138 EUs, with options to purchase up to 88 additional sixty-foot battery-electric or clean-diesel buses. In total, NFI will add 157 sixty-foot buses (314 EUs) to its backlog.
PRT is the second largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania, operating a fleet of 730 buses and providing more than 60 million annual passenger trips a year in the Pittsburgh area. In September 2022, PRT announced its plan to transition to a zero-emission bus fleet by 2045 to improve the health and safety of the area it serves.
Supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds, this order will spur PRT’s transition to a more sustainable fleet and replace vehicles that have reached the end of their lifespan with more efficient and reliable battery-electric and clean-diesel buses, delivering an enhanced passenger experience.
“Since 2011 NFI has delivered more than 130 vehicles to PRT, eight of which were battery-electric buses. NFI continues to deliver the most advanced transit technology available in North America,” said Chris Stoddart, President, North American Bus and Coach, NFI. “Designed on NFI’s Xcelsior platform, both electric and clean-diesel 60-foot buses share common parts, tooling and training, enabling PRT’s smooth transition to a zero-emission fleet. Together with PRT, we are delivering safe, reliable, efficient, and more sustainable mobility for the greater Pittsburgh community.”
Introduced in 2021, the Xcelsior CHARGE NG bus incorporates three technology advancements, including high-energy batteries, advanced protective battery packaging for easy install and simpler serviceability, and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90 per cent energy recovery.
New Flyer’s Xcelsior buses conform to the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s comprehensive Heavy-Duty National Program, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption for heavy-duty highway vehicles.
