Canadian bus maker New Flyer has bagged a contract to supply 60-foot Xcelsior electric transit buses to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA or LA Metro). The contract includes 35 firm orders with options to purchase an additional 65 buses.
The decision was spurred by LA Metro’s commitment to all-electric transit buses by 2030, and was supported by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Local Labor Hiring Pilot Program. That program enables FTA grantees, including states and local agencies, to utilize social or economic contracting requirements in competitive bidding. In addition, the Transportation Diversity Council (TDC) will assist with local employment, hiring a diverse workforce, and the addition of life-skills training by the New Flyer Institute, the company’s proprietary learning center.
“New Flyer has five decades of experience manufacturing electric transit buses, starting with trolleys in 1969. With the new Xcelsior CHARGE, we can now deliver enhanced battery-electric transit technology on a proven bus platform that meets the demands of America’s communities,” said Wayne Joseph, President of New Flyer of America
New Flyer’s Xcelsior CHARGE buses will be deployed on LA Metro’s Orange Line. These buses are claimed to offer up to USD 400,000 in energy savings and up to USD 125,000 in maintenance savings over a 12-year life span, and can travel up to 230 miles on a single charge. When charged on-route, the Xcelsior CHARGE remains continuously operational to meet daily service requirements, said the company.
The CHARGE range comes in 35, 40 and 60-foot variants, and can pack from 100 kWh to 600 kWh of electricity. The 60-foot articulated model comes with an 885 kWh battery. The company claims a range of 200 miles (322 km) on a single charge. The buses are powered by Siemens ELFA2 electric drive system.
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