New Flyer of America Inc. has received a new contract from the Nassau Inter County Express (NICE) for six battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG 40-foot transit buses. The five-year contract includes options for up to 30 of the buses.
With the order, NICE becomes the seventh agency in New York to purchase zero-emission buses from New Flyer. NICE is the local bus system serving Nassau County, parts of western Suffolk County and eastern portions Queens, providing over 20 million passenger trips per year.
“NFI is steadily increasing its EV presence on the East Coast, and this is directly due to aggressive zero-emission leadership and action by transit agencies across New York State,” states Paul Soubry, president and CEO of NFI. “NICE is an established leader in sustainable mobility and continues to build momentum. Since 2015, NFI has delivered 115 low-emission compressed natural gas buses to NICE. Together, through the transition from low to zero-emission mobility, we’re building cleaner, quieter, more livable communities across Long Island – with the added benefit of each EV delivering up to $125,000 in maintenance savings and up to $400,000 in fuel savings over its 12-year vehicle lifespan.”
New Flyer’s Xcelsior CHARGE NG battery-electric buses provide up to 525 kWh of power and 250 miles of range on a single charge. Introduced in 2021, the Xcelsior CHARGE NG bus incorporates three technology advancements, including high-energy batteries that extend range up to 13%, advanced protective battery packaging for easy install and simpler serviceability, and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90% energy recovery.
“Nassau Inter-County Express has selected New Flyer as our new battery-electric bus vendor,” says Jack Khzouz, NICE’s CEO. “We plan on deploying these energy-efficient vehicles for the launch of our new bus rapid transit system, which will provide Nassau County with zero-emissions travel between new lifestyle and employment centers. They will help NICE improve accessibility and connectivity within Nassau County.”
