New Flyer of America Inc., a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. has received a five-year contract from the Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) for 15 zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG 60-foot heavy-duty transit buses (30 equivalent units or EUs) and 54 diesel Xcelsior 60-foot buses (108 EUs), for a total of 138 EUs, with options to purchase up to 88 additional 60-foot battery-electric or clean-diesel buses. In total, NFI will add 157 60-foot buses (314 EUs) to its backlog.
PRT is the second largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania, operating a fleet of 730 buses and providing more than 60 million annual passenger trips a year in the Pittsburgh area. In September 2022, PRT announced its plan to transition to a zero-emission bus fleet by 2045 to improve the health and safety of the area it serves.
Supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds, this order will spur PRT’s transition to a more sustainable fleet and replace vehicles that have reached the end of their lifespan with more efficient and reliable battery-electric and clean-diesel buses, delivering an enhanced passenger experience.
“Since 2011 NFI has delivered more than 130 vehicles to PRT, eight of which were battery-electric buses. NFI continues to deliver the most advanced transit technology available in North America,” says Chris Stoddart, president of North American Bus and Coach at NFI. “Designed on NFI’s Xcelsior platform, both electric and clean-diesel 60-foot buses share common parts, tooling and training, enabling PRT’s smooth transition to a zero-emission fleet. Together with PRT, we are delivering safe, reliable, efficient, and more sustainable mobility for the greater Pittsburgh community.”