ST. CLOUD, MN, Sept. 21, 2020 /CNW/ - (TSX: NFI) New Flyer
of America Inc. ("New Flyer"), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc.
("NFI"), one of the world's leading independent global bus
manufacturers, today announced that the Central Ohio Transit
Authority ("COTA") has exercised options for two Xcelsior CHARGE™
battery-electric, forty-foot heavy-duty transit buses. The order
includes two ABB depot chargers and commissioning by New Flyer
Infrastructure Solutions™ to support electric bus deployment and
infrastructure development in Columbus,
Ohio.
The purchase – part of a two-year contract with options to
purchase an additional eight zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE™
buses and supported by Federal Transit Administration ("FTA") funds
– furthers COTA's 5-year Strategic Plan to improve customer
experience, provide mobility options, achieve organizational
excellence, and prioritize the use of data and analytics.
"New Flyer has proudly delivered over 135 transit buses to COTA
since 2001," said Chris Stoddart,
President, New Flyer. "In addition to significantly reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, New Flyer's battery-electric Xcelsior
CHARGE™ buses can save up to $125,000
in maintenance costs and up to $400,000 in fuel costs over its 12-year
lifespan."
COTA is the public transit agency serving the Columbus metropolitan area and operating
fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, micro transit, and
paratransit services, delivering over 19 million passenger trips
annually. In 2018, COTA received the Outstanding Public
Transportation System Achievement Award from the American Public
Transportation Association ("APTA"). The same year, Columbus received a Smart City award from the
U.S. Department of Transportation for its vision of reinventing
mobility to improve quality of life, growth in the economy, better
access to jobs, and greater sustainability. In 2020, COTA again
received APTA's Outstanding Public Transportation System
Achievement Award, securing the recognition twice in three
years.
New Flyer has been leading innovation in mobility for nearly 90
years, and today supports growing North American cities with
sustainable buses, technology, and infrastructure. It also operates
the Vehicle Innovation Center, the first and only innovation lab of
its kind dedicated to advancing bus technology and providing
essential workforce development through electric bus training. New
Flyer was the first bus manufacturer in the world to sign on to the
Shared Mobility Principles for Livable Cities, and is currently
developing automated bus technology to improve safety in public
transit.
About NFI
With 9,000 team members in ten countries, NFI is a leading
global bus manufacturer of mass mobility solutions under the brands
New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses),
MCI® (motor coaches), Alexander Dennis Limited
(single and double-deck buses), Plaxton (motor coaches),
ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and
NFI Parts™. NFI currently offers the widest range of sustainable
drive systems available, including zero-emission electric (trolley,
battery, and fuel cell), natural gas, electric hybrid, and clean
diesel. In total, NFI supports its installed base of over 105,000
buses and coaches around the world. NFI common shares are traded on
the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. News and
information is available at www.nfigroup.com, www.newflyer.com,
www.mcicoach.com, www.arbocsv.com, www.alexander-dennis.com, and
www.nfi.parts.
About New Flyer
New Flyer is North America's
heavy-duty transit bus leader and offers the most advanced product
line under the Xcelsior® and Xcelsior CHARGE™ brands. It
also offers infrastructure development through New Flyer
Infrastructure Solutions™, a service dedicated to providing safe,
sustainable, and reliable charging and mobility solutions. New
Flyer actively supports over 35,000 heavy-duty transit buses (New
Flyer, NABI, and Orion) currently in service, of which 8,600 are
powered by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,900 are
zero-emission. Further information is available at
www.newflyer.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements
relating to expected future events and financial and operating
results of NFI Group that involve risks and uncertainties. Although
the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are
based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions,
investors cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent
with these forward-looking statements, and the differences may be
material. Actual results may differ materially from management
expectations as projected in such forward-looking statements for a
variety of reasons, including market and general economic
conditions and economic conditions of and funding availability for
customers to purchase buses and to purchase parts or services,
customers may not exercise options to purchase additional buses,
the ability of customers to suspend or terminate contracts for
convenience and the other risks and uncertainties discussed in the
materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities
and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Due to the potential
impact of these factors, the NFI Group disclaims any intention or
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
unless required by applicable law.
SOURCE New Flyer of America Inc.