New Flyer and Consortium Members Announce Battery-Electric Bus Begins Manitoba Hydro Shuttle Service in Winnipeg

The consortium partners for the project, who include New Flyer, Manitoba Government, Manitoba Hydro, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Red River College and with the support of Winnipeg Transit, are excited to have successfully deployed their first ever electric bus into a real world service environment which is being run by Manitoba Hydro, Red River College and Winnipeg Transit.

The shuttle service, which began on March 4, 2014 has successfully been transporting Manitoba Hydro employees for the last 9 weeks.  The shuttle service runs from the Manitoba Hydro headquarters, a new state of the art, energy efficient and environmentally friendly facility on Portage Avenue to their Taylor Avenue offices. Red River College is the operator for this Manitoba Hydro shuttle service and Winnipeg Transit has provided their bus depot for storage and servicing.

Part of the consortium project also includes the development and testing of a rapid charging station.  The en-route rapid charging station is located next to the Manitoba Hydro offices on Taylor Avenue where the bus stops for 4 minutes to recharge after every hour of operation.  With en-route rapid charging a bus can stay in service all day.  The in-service testing will evaluate key operational performance parameters such as: the rapid charging system, battery capacity, component life and reliability and the assessment of both operational and life cycle cost savings.

New Flyer’s electrification development has been focused on the Xcelsior® platform, the Company’s highly successful next-generation transit bus and allows New Flyer to continue as an industry pioneer and technology leader; building opportunities  that move us toward cost-effective commercialization and environmentally conscious public transportation.

“We are extremely proud of this partnership and the technology that resulted in this truly innovative electric bus,” said Minister Struthers. “Testing a new unique on-route rapid charging system, which is the first in Canada, and moving the electric bus into regular service is a tremendous step forward for clean, green technology that is already catching the eye of various North American transit authorities. Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is good for the environment, our health, and business.”

“Having our first battery electric heavy-duty Xcelsior transit bus finish its year-long validation phase and enter daily service in Winnipeg, operated by our partners Manitoba Hydro and Red River College, and with the support of Winnipeg Transit will provide invaluable insights into day-to-day real-world operational issues. This project, together with an additional six battery-electric buses currently being built by New Flyer, validates our view that electrification of transit buses is not a matter of if, but when.  We remain committed to our leading position in the market, technology, safety and reliability to ensure best value for the taxpayer.”  said Paul Soubry, New Flyer’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

About New Flyer 
New Flyer, with its recently acquired NABI Bus, LLC subsidiary, is the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the United States and Canada.  The Company is the industry technology leader and offers the broadest product line including drive systems powered by: clean diesel, natural gas and electric trolley as well as energy-efficient diesel-electric hybrid vehicles.  All buses are supported by an industry-leading comprehensive warranty and support program, and service network.   New Flyer and its subsidiaries NABI Bus, LLC and NABI Parts, LLC also operate the transit industry’s most sophisticated aftermarket parts organization, sourcing parts from hundreds of different suppliers and providing support for all types of heavy-duty transit buses.

The New Flyer group of companies employ over 3,000 team members with manufacturing, fabrication, parts distribution and service centers in both Canada and the United States.  Further information is available on New Flyer’s web site at www.www.newflyer.com.

The common shares and convertible unsecured subordinated debentures of the Company are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols NFI and NFI.DB.U, respectively.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements relating to expected future events and financial and operating results of the Company 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, there is not yet a production version of the electric bus and the prototype must be tested, marketed and sold to customers, there may be no demand for an all-electric bus from customers, the economic conditions of and funding availability for customers to purchase buses and to purchase parts or services 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 Company 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.

For further information, please contact:
Jon Koffman
Investor Relations
Tel: 204-224-6672