NFI announces its first battery-electric bus order from the University of Michigan for up to 54 buses
NFI Group Inc., a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, announced that its subsidiary New Flyer of America Inc. has received an order from the University of Michigan-Transportation Services, for three zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ forty-foot transit buses and one sixty-foot articulated Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ bus (for a total of five equivalent units, or “EUs”). The contract has a base term of one year with 13 one-year renewal terms, and marks New Flyer’s first bus order from U-M. The contract also includes options for up to 50 Xcelsior® heavy-duty transit buses in 35-foot, 40-foot and 60-foot lengths in both electric and diesel propulsion.
U-M operates a large alternative-energy vehicle fleet. With nearly one thousand vehicles in its fleet, the University has committed to achieving university-wide carbon neutrality by 2040.
“NFI is proud to support U-M’s commitment to sustainability with our advanced battery-electric buses,” said Chris Stoddart, President, North American Bus and Coach. “Drawing on over 50 years of engineering experience in zero-emission mobility, our EVs offer up to 250 miles in range on a single charge and will immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions, delivering cleaner, quieter, more sustainable mobility to the U-M community.”
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 install and simpler serviceability, and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90% energy recovery.
NFI is a leader in zero-emission mobility, with electric vehicles operating (or on order) in more than 80 cities in five countries. NFI offers the widest range of zero-emission battery and fuel cell-electric buses and coaches, and the Company’s vehicles have completed over 50 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 late 2017, the VIC has hosted over 300 interactive events, welcoming 4,000 industry professionals for EV and infrastructure training.
