NFI Group Inc.’s New Flyer of America Inc. subsidiary has received an order from the Golden Empire Transit District (GET Bus) for five 40-foot fuel cell-electric Xcelsior CHARGE H2 heavy-duty transit buses, purchased off of the California Department of General Services (CDGS) contract.
It follows a prior GET bus purchase in 2020 of five buses of the same model.
New Flyer was selected by CDGS as an approved supplier of electric vehicles in 2019. The CDGS contract simplifies potential future bus procurement for California local government agencies for up to five years. Both orders were supported by Federal Transit Administration and state funds.
The buses deliver on the agency’s Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan, designed to transition its fleet to 100% zero-emission by 2040, in accordance with the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit regulation. GET bus is the mass transportation provider in Bakersfield, Calif., transporting more than six million passengers per year.
“Leveraging NFI’s experience in electric technology – with more than 40 million EV service miles completed – New Flyer is delivering innovative, efficient, sustainable mobility into California and directly enabling the transition to zero-emission propulsion by 2040,” says Chris Stoddart, president of North American Bus and Coach. “Since 2005, we have delivered over 110 buses to GET bus and now our fuel cell-electric technology will improve community livability with proven range, improved air quality, and quieter transportation.”
The Xcelsior CHARGE H2 is a battery-electric vehicle using compressed hydrogen as an energy source and range extender, requiring only 6-20 minutes to refuel. Fuel cell-electric technology is fully zero-emission and an innovative way to obtain extended-range operation similar to existing transit vehicles. Built on New Flyer’s proven Xcelsior platform, the Xcelsior CHARGE H2 can save 85 to 135 tons of greenhouse gas per year from tailpipe emissions compared to a diesel bus.