PATH IS CLEAR FOR USE OF FTA FUNDS ON VEHICLE
PROCUREMENTS
DES PLAINES, IL, Nov. 2, 2018 /CNW/ - (TSX: NFI) Motor Coach
Industries (MCI), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., ("NFI"), the
largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts
distributor in North America,
announced today its all-new MCI D45 CRT LE, a major breakthrough in
passenger accessibility, has passed the mandated U.S. Federal
Transit Administration (FTA) Altoona test for new bus models.
FTA's bus testing program, named for the Altoona, PA testing center, rigorously tests
the reliability of all new bus models for use in federally funded
public transit systems procurement.
The MCI D45 CRT LE received a 10-month battery of tests
accelerating a 12-year, 500,000 miles service life. According to
Paul Fazio, MCI Engineer and
Director of New Product Development, the model sent to Altoona was set for the heaviest level of
customer usage, just shy of the model's full GVWR (Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating) of 54,000 lbs. to equal a real-life, rush hour load
of fully-seated and standing passengers at peak travel time.
The D45 CRT LE is MCI's first complete redesign of an MCI model
in 20 years. "We anticipated positive results because the model's
platform is based on our J-series structural design which has
proven to be very robust in all types of operating environments,"
said Fazio. "The D45 CRT LE passed its durability tests with flying
colors. This is a significant outcome as the platform will also be
the basis for our battery-electric D-model planned for a production
start in 2020."
MCI has a long, successful history with the Altoona program. In fact, MCI demonstrated its
industry leading innovation and safety by becoming one of
North America's first motor coach
manufacturers to test at Altoona,
submitting a 102 DL 3 to the facility in 1995. And in the line of
new MCI models launched in following years, MCI would place the
industries first hybrid-electric coach through Altoona testing in 2008. Today, the D4500 and
its variants are the leader in commuter express bus service
throughout North America.
"We are proud of the hard work of our engineers," said
Ian Smart, MCI President. "Our goal
is to have the D45 CRT LE perform reliably on commuter routes in
all types of weather and road conditions. We are very confident our
customers will experience a long vehicle life with this versatile
model, which will deliver a whole new standard of passenger
accessibility and reliability."
The Altoona tests on the D45
CRT LE began in September of 2017 and concluded last month. MCI is
planning to return to Altoona with
other variants of the new design. "We'll be back at Altoona in April with our first
battery-electric MCI D45 CRTe LE and with the non-vestibule version
of the D45 CRT in September," says Fazio.
The ADA- and Buy America-compliant MCI D45 CRT LE incorporated a
whole new design process at MCI, which included direct
participation from various advocacy groups including the National
Council on Independent Living and the American Association for
People with Disabilities. The CRT LE's mid-vehicle vestibule
features an automatic curb-level ramp that enables most mobility
devices swift entry and exit. And its forward door also has an
enhanced ergonomic spiral entryway to facilitate ease of boarding
the dual-entry system cuts dwell times to equal conventional
low-floor transit boarding times.
About NFI Group
With nearly 6,000 team members, operating from 31 facilities
across Canada and the United States, NFI is North America's largest bus manufacturer
providing a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions
under several brands: New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit
buses), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty
buses), MCI® (motor coaches), and NFI Parts™ (parts,
support, and service). NFI buses incorporate the widest range of
drive systems available including: clean diesel, natural gas,
diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission electric (trolley,
battery, and fuel cell). For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, NFI posted revenues of US
$2.4 billion. NFI common shares are
traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. News and
information are available at www.nfigroup.com.
About Motor Coach Industries
Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is North
America's motor coach leader in public and private markets,
offering the J4500 (the industry best-seller for 13 consecutive
years) and the all-new J3500 model (the workhorse D-Series
including the breakthrough ADA-accessible MCI D45 CRT LE). MCI also
supports nearly 30,000 MCI coaches on the road with maintenance,
repair, 24-hour roadside assistance, and the industry's only
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) accredited MCI Academy
technician training center. Further information is available at
www.mcicoach.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT
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.
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SOURCE Motor Coach Industries