Press Releases
New Flyer and the University of Georgia Driving to Sustainability
Anniston, Alabama June 22, 2015: (TSX: NFI) (TSX: NFI.DB.U) New Flyer of America Inc., a subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc. (New Flyer or the Company), the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the United States and Canada, announced today the demonstration of the XE40 Xcelsior® zero emission battery-electric transit bus on the University of Georgia Campus (UGA). The demonstration took place for transit and university administrators and students.
Since 1930, New Flyer has manufactured nearly 30,000 transit buses with various low emission propulsion systems for transit riders all across North America, 6,000 of which are the Xcelsior model. This was the first time a battery-electric bus was incorporated into daily transit service on the University of Georgia campus.
The University of Georgia Campus Transit System carries the largest volume of passengers of any university transit system in the United States, surpassing 11,000,000 passenger trips annually. Over the past two years, Campus Transit has purchased 16 New Flyer Xcelsior buses which are powered with clean diesel. The Xcelsior has provided recognizable styling and comfort with reliable performance.
The timing of the Xcelsior electric bus demonstration on our Orbit perimeter route was valuable. This demonstration reconfirmed our confidence that battery-electric technology is ideally suitable for Campus Transit, said Ron Hamlin, Manager of Campus Transit.
Recently, UGA submitted a TIGER Grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation for 16 battery-electric buses and charging systems to replace 10+ year old diesel buses. Hamlin said, Were hopeful this grant opportunity will allow us to provide zero-emissions transit options to the students, employees, and residents of Athens.
Dustin Tilley, a senior student studying Criminal Justice had the opportunity to drive the Xcelsior Electric Bus and share his impressions with others. The electric bus was extremely comfortable and familiar to drive. The interior noise levels are really low, and the electric bus accelerated quickly without gear shifting since theres no transmission involved. I was really impressed with the smoothness of the motor as it generated electricity for recharging batteries as the bus slowed. Operating the electric bus was easy since the drivers cockpit and controls are identical to other Xcelsiors in our fleet.
Kevin Kirsche, Director of Sustainability for UGA, rode on the Xcelsior Electric bus. Electric buses would offer significant benefits toward achieving our campus sustainability goals. The buses produce no direct greenhouse gas or carbon emissions, and we anticipate that the fuel mix of our purchased electricity from Georgia Power will include increasingly more renewable sources in the future. The lower drive-by noise and zero emissions contribute to a more healthy and pleasant campus environment for all stakeholders.
Were pleased with the positive response to our Xcelsior electric bus from the UGA community, said Paul Smith, Executive Vice President of New Flyer Sales and Marketing. The Xcelsior electric bus is a great fit for campus operations and the electric technology weve integrated into Xcelsior can support UGAs sustainability objectives for many years to come.
About New Flyer
New Flyer 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 of transit buses including drive systems powered by: clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, electric trolley and now, battery-electric. All buses are supported by an industry-leading comprehensive warranty and support program, and service network. New Flyer also operates the industry’s most sophisticated aftermarket parts organization, sourcing parts from hundreds of different suppliers and providing support for all types of 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. Over 32,000 New Flyer and NABI heavy-duty transit buses are in operation today. Further information is available on New Flyers website at http://www.www.newflyer.com/content
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 and economic conditions of and funding availability for customers to purchase buses and to purchase parts or services, the expected benefits for customers operating this type of bus may not be realized, customers may not exercise options to purchase additional buses, the ability of customers to 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 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