ST. CLOUD, MN, Dec. 23, 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 that it is
initiating third year production of 100 Xcelsior®
forty-foot, heavy-duty transit buses and 32
Xcelsior sixty-foot, heavy-duty transit buses for the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ("Metro"), for a
total of 164 equivalent units ("EUs"). This order is the third
installment of a five-year contract by Metro first announced in
July 2018 and for a total of up to
694 diesel and compressed natural gas ("CNG") buses. It represents
Metro's Year 2 options, converting 132 buses from the backlog to
firm orders.
The order replaces older, end-of-life vehicles with new more
efficient buses that will deliver greater reliability, while
increasing sustainability for riders.
"Since 2001, New Flyer has delivered nearly 1,500 buses to
support and expand greater mobility in Washington and its surrounding communities –
including electric hybrids, zero-emission battery-electric, and
low-emission compressed natural gas buses," said Chris Stoddart, President, New Flyer. "Together,
we are building more efficient transportation while helping reduce
traffic congestion in the capital region. New Flyer is proud to
continue supporting Metro in its pursuit of delivering a safe,
reliable and affordable transit experience."
New Flyer's diesel buses use a four-step technology to deliver
highly efficient, virtually smoke-free engines that can help lower
emissions and reduce particulate emissions by 90% and NOx emissions
by 95% over traditional diesel propulsions.
Metro is a tri-jurisdictional government agency operating public
transit service in the Washington Metropolitan Area including
the District of Columbia,
Maryland, and Virginia. Metro
operates the sixth busiest bus agency in the United States, with 168 bus lines
supporting an annual ridership of 295 million trips, of which 121
million are on buses. In total, Metro moves four times more people
each year than BWI, DCA, and IAD airports combined. In 2018, the
American Public Transportation Association's ("APTA") named Metro
Grand Champion of its annual International Bus Roadeo, and in 2019,
APTA awarded Metro the Gold Award for Security.
New Flyer has been leading innovation in transit buses for
nearly 90 years, with over 50 years of experience manufacturing
zero-emission buses and leadership of the Vehicle Innovation
Center, the first and only innovation lab of its kind dedicated to
advancing bus technology. In 2018, New Flyer 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 with buses, technology, and infrastructure to
support the mobility needs of growing communities, and has more
electric buses on the road in America than any other
manufacturer.
About NFI
With 9,000 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.