ST. CLOUD, MN, Sept. 17, 2019 /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 three new orders from the Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority ("WMATA") for a total of 25 forty-foot
Xcelsior® clean-diesel buses, 75 forty-foot Xcelsior
compressed natural gas ("CNG") buses, and ten sixty-foot
articulated Xcelsior clean-diesel buses (a total of 120
equivalent units or "EUs"). The order converts 110 buses from the
option backlog to firm orders.
The new order replaces older, end-of-life vehicles and delivers
on WMATA's plan to improve transit service and reliability, while
also increasing efficiency and sustainable mobility for residents
in the capital region. In addition, the articulated buses deliver
higher passenger capacity, allowing WMATA to move up to 115
passengers per bus along its busiest routes.
New Flyer has delivered nearly 1,400 buses to WMATA since
2001, including electric hybrids, zero-emission battery-electric,
and low-emission compressed natural gas (CNG).
"Since WMATA's first Xcelsior arrived in 2011, we have continued
to support its ridership growth with hundreds of safe, reliable,
and efficient Xcelsior buses to keep America's capital moving,"
said Chris Stoddart, President, New
Flyer. "With leading technology, buses, and infrastructure
solutions, New Flyer is proud to support WMATA's move toward
sustainable mobility while offering greater reliability, increased
capacity, and cleaner air for the Washington metro community."
New Flyer has delivered over 10,000 of the Xcelsior heavy-duty
transit bus model, together accumulating over one billion miles of
revenue service across North
America. Its CNG powered buses reduce fleet NOx (nitrogen
oxides) emissions by 90% over conventional diesel-powered vehicles,
and since 1994, New Flyer has delivered nearly 13,000 CNG buses
across Canada and the U.S. Its
clean diesel buses also use leading technology that results in
highly efficient, virtually smoke-free engines, which can achieve
low emissions and help reduce particulate emissions by 90% and NOx
emissions by 95%.
WMATA is a tri-jurisdictional government agency operating public
transit service in the Washington metropolitan area including
the District of Columbia,
Maryland, and Virginia. WMATA's
Metrobus is the sixth busiest bus agency in the United States, providing over 62 million
passenger trips per year with a fleet of more than 1,500 buses.
New Flyer has been leading innovation in transit buses for
nearly 90 years. In 2017, it opened the Vehicle Innovation Center,
the first and only innovation lab of its kind dedicated to
advancing bus and coach technology, and in 2018 became the first
bus manufacturer in the world to sign on to the Shared Mobility
Principles for Livable Cities. It is the only provider of
full-suite bus solutions in North
America and has the broadest range of drive systems in
North America.
About NFI
With over 8,900 team members operating from more than 50
facilities across ten countries, NFI is a leading independent
global bus manufacturer providing a comprehensive suite of mass
transportation solutions under brands: New Flyer®
(heavy-duty transit buses), Alexander Dennis Limited (single and
double-deck buses), Plaxton (motor coaches), MCI® (motor
coaches), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty
buses), and NFI Parts™. NFI buses and motor coaches 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). In total, NFI now supports
over 105,000 buses and coaches currently in service around the
world. NFI common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange
under the symbol NFI. News and information are 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 41,000 heavy-duty transit buses (New
Flyer, NABI, and Orion) currently in service, of which 7,300 are
powered by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,600 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.