The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has exercised options to purchase 18 Xcelsior compressed natural gas (CNG) 40-foot, heavy-duty transit buses from NFI’s New Flyer of America Inc.
The award follows COTA’s second option conversion of 28 CNG buses, delivered earlier this year.
The options were exercised from a five-year contract originally announced in 2018 for 154 Xcelsior CNG 40-foot transit buses. Both purchases were supported by Federal Transit Administration funds as part of COTA’s 2013 commitment to convert its entire fleet to natural gas within 12 years.
COTA provides public transit in the greater Columbus and central Ohio region, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, delivered more than 19 million passenger trips a year.
“NFI continues to lead the evolution to low- and zero-emission buses by providing the industry’s broadest range of propulsion options to suit individual customer needs and unique operating environments,” says Paul Soubry, president and CEO of NFI. “We are proud to be awarded COTA’s follow on requirement for state-of-the-art transit buses, in support of its environmentally responsible vision for transit.”
Xcelsior CNG buses emit 90% less nitrogen oxide than diesel engines, resulting in cleaner, more breathable air.
“With over 155 buses delivered to COTA since 2001, New Flyer continues to provide safe and sustainable transportation to the greater Columbus region,” said Chris Stoddart, president of North American Bus and Coach. “Today, there are over 13,000 New Flyer CNG buses on the road in North America, proving the safe, scalable, and efficient performance of these low-emission buses. With CNG technology onboard, they emit virtually no visible particulate matter from the tailpipe – delivering immediate emission reduction and moving toward cleaner air for all.”
Electric is the best modern bus choice vs fracked methane.