STA City Line Vehicle in Boone NW Garage
St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA – March 19, 2021: (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, announced that the Spokane Transit Authority (“STA”) yesterday unveiled its first 60-foot, five-door zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE™ City Line bus, as part of a contract that New
Flyer won in June 2020. The contract, not previously announced by New Flyer, was for ten 60- foot and two 40-foot Xcelsior CHARGE™ battery-electric heavy-duty transit buses (22 equivalent units or “EUs”).
STA is the public transit authority serving the Spokane, Washington, region and providing more than 10 million annual rides through transit.
The Xcelsior CHARGE™ bus is the first of ten City Line buses that will operate along STA’s new six mile Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) route serving the downtown area through to Spokane Community College, aimed at revitalizing mobility and economic development while building STA branding through recognizable BRT vehicles.
“STA is moving quickly toward a sustainable future. We have innovated alongside STA for over 20 years, and today we shift toward zero-emission buses with five-door entry and exit capability,” said Chris Stoddart, President, New Flyer and MCI. “STA can offer ADA accessible boarding at every door and will leverage our SmartRider technology for intelligent leveling of the bus. In addition, the BRT buses can support multimodal journeys through multiple interior bike racks. As Spokane grows, we will continue providing efficient and clean mobility that not only improves air quality, but also enhances the passenger experience and builds more livable communities.”
The order for 12 zero-emission buses delivers on STA’s commitment to sustainable mobility through its 10-year plan, STA Moving Forward, aimed at providing better transit service and including the construction of a dedicated BRT route, complete with zero-emission buses and infrastructure that will provide long-term benefits of cleaner air and quieter transportation.
“Our partners at New Flyer have developed a sleek, modern, and customer-centric vehicle that also achieves our industry’s environmental objectives of transitioning to zero-emission buses,” said Brandon Rapez-Betty, STA’s Director of Communications and Customer Service. “As the marquee feature of Spokane’s first Bus Rapid Transit route, the City Line, we’ve worked together with New Flyer to build a distinct brand experience, both exterior, and interior, to appeal to the broadest audience of transit users we can. We look forward to introducing the City Line in 2022 as we begin to rebuild ridership in the post-pandemic era.”
The high-capacity 60-foot buses are configured with five doors, New Flyer’s SmartRider™ smart suspension system, and interior bike racks for ease of passenger exit and entry. To date, New Flyer remains the only manufacturer offering five-door configurations.
NFI is a leader in zero-emission mobility with battery-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles operating in more than 80 cities in four countries that have completed over 20 million electric service miles. NFI also operates the Vehicle Innovation Center, the first and only innovation lab of its kind dedicated to advancing bus and motorcoach technology and providing essential workforce development through electric bus training, now available online. NFI is testing, automated vehicle technology and remains committed to the development of technology standards that deliver safe, clean, sustainable, connected mobility options to communities.
About NFI
Leveraging 450 years of combined experience, NFI is leading the electrification of mass mobility around the world. With zero-emission buses and coaches, infrastructure, and technology, NFI meets today’s urban demands for scalable smart mobility solutions. Together, NFI is enabling more livable cities through connected, clean, and sustainable transportation.
With 8,000 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.
Images courtesy of New Flyer