Daimler Buses North America Inc. (DBNA) has shifted its existing bus-building contract with Seattle Metro Transit to New Flyer Industries Inc. New Flyer will initially build 60 Xcelsior diesel-hybrid electric 35-foot buses and 60 40-foot buses.
In April 2012, DBNA announced that it was ceasing production of its Orion heavy-duty transit buses in the U.S. and Canadian markets. In turn, New Flyer will stand in for the original order, calling for the production of up to 381 Xcelsior 35- and 40-foot hybrid buses.
‘We are pleased that we could respond to DBNA's transition plan with a solution that met the needs of King County, while ensuring that expectations regarding our current bus production run are met,’ says Paul Soubry, New Flyer's president and CEO.
New Flyer has an existing contract with King County for 43 60-foot buses. These units are currently in production and are anticipated to be delivered by this summer.
