NFI Announces Additional Order From Ohio’s Cota For 14 New Flyer Zero-emission, Long-range Electric Buses, And Associated Charging Infrastructure

NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, announced that its subsidiary New Flyer of America Inc. (“New Flyer”) received a new order from Central Ohio Transit Authority (“COTA”) for 14 zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ forty-foot heavy-duty transit buses, purchased off the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services contract.

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NFI Infrastructure Solutions™ will provide project coordination and commissioning, and 20 ABB HVC-C 150kW plug-in chargers and 40 dispensers, supporting reliable and safe battery-electric bus deployment in Columbus, OH.

Supported by Federal Transit Administration funds, this order follows COTA’s previous purchase of eight battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG transit buses, announced in May 2022. These new zero-emission, Buy America-compliant buses will support COTA’s goals of enhancing passenger experience and transitioning to a 100% zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045.

COTA is an award-winning regional public transit provider serving the greater Columbus area and Central Ohio, delivering nearly 19 million annual passenger trips. In 2020, the American Public Transportation Association awarded COTA its second Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award, recognizing COTA as the best transit organization of its size in North America.

“For over 20 years, COTA has relied on NFI’s efficient and safe mobility solutions. NFI has delivered over 186 transit buses to COTA since 2001. With this latest order of high-performance electric buses and infrastructure, we continue to enable COTA’s safe and successful transition to a net zero carbon future,” said Chris Stoddart, President, North American Bus and Coach, NFI. “Each Xcelsior CHARGE NG will avoid up to 135 metric tons of greenhouse gas per year compared to a traditional diesel bus, delivering substantial clean air benefits to Columbus communities. Together with COTA, we are building more sustainable communities in Ohio.”

Introduced in 2021, the Xcelsior CHARGE NG bus incorporates three distinct technology advancements, including high-energy batteries that extend range up to 13%, advanced protective battery packaging for easy installation and simpler serviceability, and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90% energy recovery.

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New Flyer’s zero-emission deployments are supported by NFI Infrastructure Solutions, providing safe and reliable infrastructure services for smart, sustainable mobility projects with over 330 EV chargers installed to date.

NFI is a leader in zero-emission mobility, with electric vehicles operating (or on order) in more than 120 cities in six countries. NFI offers the widest range of zero-emission battery and fuel cell-electric buses and coaches, and its vehicles have completed over 85 million EV service miles.

Today, NFI supports growing North American cities with scalable, clean, and sustainable mobility solutions through a four-pillar approach that includes buses and coaches, technology, infrastructure, and workforce development. NFI also operates the Vehicle Innovation Center (“VIC”), the first and only innovation lab of its kind dedicated to advancing bus and coach technology and providing workforce development. Since opening in late 2017, the VIC has hosted over 300 interactive events, welcoming 5,000 industry professionals for EV and infrastructure training.

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