New Flyer of America has received a new contract from the New York City Transit Authority (NYCT) for 60 battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG forty-foot heavy-duty transit buses. The order is supported by Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) funds and advances NYCT’s goal to reduce New York City’s carbon footprint through sustainable public transportation.

The order is in addition to 15 battery-electric buses previously delivered to NYCT by New Flyer. The NYCT and the MTA Bus Company (together, “MTA”) constitute the largest transit agency in North America. MTA serves an estimated 8.5 million citizens and more than 60 million visitors with 678 million bus rides annually, and is one of seven transit agencies in New York State to purchase zero-emission buses from New Flyer.

New Flyer’s Xcelsior CHARGE NG battery-electric bus features a new lightweight electric traction drive system, provides up to 90% energy recovery, and integrates up to 525 kWh of power to meet the MTA’s route demands on a single charge.

Earlier in the month, Philadelphia’s SEPTA awarded NFI a contract for up to 340 low-emission hybrid-electric buses, comprising a firm order of 220 Xcelsior forty-foot, heavy-duty, hybrid-electric transit buses with options to purchase up to 120 additional Xcelsior forty-foot, hybrid-electric buses under a five-year contract.

SEPTA is America’s sixth-largest transit agency, delivering 300 million annual rides across five counties surrounding Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The hybrid-electric buses feature BAE’s HDS200 hybrid drive propulsion, including the latest MAPS2 accessory power system which will upgrade SEPTA’s current fleet with engine-off features such as stop/start, arrive and go, and onboard “Green Zone” technology, which enables the bus to switch to battery-electric power in specified zones. Together, these features provide emission and noise reduction in the community.