Press Releases
SEPTA expands low-emission mobility in greater Philadelphia with 115 more hybrid electric buses from New Flyer
St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA – December 19, 2019: (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 the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (“SEPTA”) is initiating production of 115 Xcelsior® forty-foot, heavy duty diesel-electric hybrid transit buses. This is the fifth installment of a five-year contract by SEPTA for a total of 525 hybrid buses awarded to New Flyer in May 2016.
The order of low-emission hybrid buses will continue to replace older vehicles in SEPTA’s current fleet with more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly buses. The hybrid buses also fulfill its SEPTAINABLE 2020 program, focused on achieving sustainability through a “triple-bottom-line” approach pursuing an environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically prosperous Greater Philadelphia.
The order also builds on a recent celebration of SEPTA’s receipt of its 1,500th transit bus from New Flyer – another low-emission bus propelled by hybrid technology. The recently delivered hybrid Xcelsior buses reduce air pollution while also supporting SEPTA’s transit bus fleet evolution in pursuit of lower emissions – all part of its SEPTAINABLE 2020 plan. By 2020, hybrids will represent 95% of SEPTA’s bus fleet.
New Flyer delivered its first bus to SEPTA in 2002, and since then has continued supporting SEPTA’s mobility needs with hybrid electric buses as public transportation grew alongside the expanding community.
“SEPTA’s vision to evolve its fleet to low-emission is near complete, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support this transition. Since 2002, we have proudly served SEPTA and the greater Philadelphia community with mobility featuring hybrid technology,” said Chris Stoddart, President, New Flyer. “Together, we have driven the evolution to reduced emissions, and as we turn the corner on a new mobility paradigm, we will remain steadfast in supporting SEPTA through its continued evolution toward sustainable transit and fulfillment of its SEPTAINABLE 2020 plan. We look forward to innovating the future of mobility together, and providing communities with safe, clean, sustainable transportation.”
SEPTA is the regional public transportation authority operating bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services in five counties in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is America’s sixth largest transit agency with an annual ridership over 300 million. SEPTA buses log the most service miles of any mode in the SEPTA system, and through its investment in hybrid bus technologies, SEPTA has significantly reduced bus energy consumption, as well as congestion and greenhouse gases in their communities.
In 2016, SEPTA earned the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence, also earning the Energy Storage North America Innovation Award in 2014 and Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Award in 2010. In 2012, it won both the Gold Recognition for Sustainability and Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award from the American Public Transportation Association (“APTA”).
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.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.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.
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