Metro Magazine, September/October 2015

research and talked at a high level about possible product strategies for growth and diversification Just this past quarter Paulo Nunes was appointed to the New Flyer Board of Directors pursuant to the Investment Agreement between New Flyer and Marcopolo Mr Nunes has deep experience in the manufacturing distribution and automotive related sectors having served in leadership positions for almost 40 years He is now an independent business consultant and currently serves on the board of directors of Cesbe S A a Brazilian construction company and Marcopolo S A WHAT OTHER TYPES OF SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS IS NEW FLYER WORKING ON Emissions regulations and the drive toward non carbon based energy has placed a broad and extensive amount of focus on all forms of low and zeroemission bus propulsion systems New Flyer has a continuous stream of projects on our Technology Roadmap which address advancements in diesel compressed natural gas CNG hybrids catenary electric battery electric and fuelcell electric drive systems Each of these propulsion systems has relevancy to specific customers depending on local market conditions and preferences From a macro level this requires a thoughtful approach to our product platform management strategy but at a micro level our development engineers are highly focused on the smallest of details to optimize the packaging and performance of each of these systems Achieving a balanced and forwardthinking pipeline of propulsion systems at New Flyer requires a clear understanding of upcoming regulatory and policy changes selecting good partners and understanding the specific needs of each of our customers We pride ourselves as being world class bus system integrators and we rely on our suppliers research and development to complement our internal strengths and capabilities We feel operators want to try new propulsion approaches but also want it on a proven transit vehicle with millions of miles of in service experience this is what makes New Flyers approach unique with our Xcelsior platform Today we are obviously more focused on zero emissions technology compared to where we were 10 years ago However New Flyers journey with CNG batteryelectric and fuel cell propulsion has been non stop over the past 20 years During this period New Flyer and NABI have delivered over 6000 buses with electric motors and an additional 6000 buses with CNG systems to customers throughout North America The focused attention on the commercial deployment of battery electric buses including the New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 is the outcome of the quantum leap in battery technology over the last five years The demand has been fueled by the Environmental Protection Agency the Department of Energy and the Federal Transit Administration FTA using grant funding to accelerate pilot deployments We may see a similar trend with hydrogen where fuel cell technology has advanced greatly and pilot deployments sponsored by these same agencies will create demand over time One of the challenges today from an 58 mETRO mAGAZINE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2015 metro magazine com Q A NEW FLYER CHIEF In August the California Energy Commission CEC approved a 21 million grant to conduct an advanced demonstration project involving a New Flyer Xcelsior electric transit bus with a Hydrogenics CelerityPlus fuel cell The purpose of the CEC approved Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program ARFVTP is to encourage demonstration of advanced technologies and help develop commercial vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas emissions displace petroleum fuel demand stimulate economic development and enhance market acceptance that will lead to commercial production Similar to the commercially available zero emission New Flyer Xcelsior battery electric buses the hydrogen fuel cell demonstration bus will use a Siemens ELFA electric drive motor for propulsion However instead of storing electricity delivered from the power grid in battery packs on the bus fuel cells use hydrogen gas and air to produce electricity directly on board the bus With water vapor as the only by product and with no tail pipe emissions a New Flyer Xcelsior fuel cell bus can reduce an estimated 115 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year With the fuel cell on board the bus has the ability to yield operating ranges longer than pure battery electric buses plus hydrogen fuel tanks on the bus can be refilled in less time than recharging batteries from plug in electric chargers New Flyer also recently announced that its XE40 electric bus completed the Federal Transit Administrations Bus Test Program at Altoona Pa The XE40 performed superbly and clearly distinguished itself against other battery electric buses achieving over 20 miles per gallon diesel equivalent fuel economy with the greatest gross vehicle weight rating available This equates to the highest passenger carrying capability of any electric bus in North America said New Flyer President CEO Paul Soubry The interior noise measurements during acceleration from 0 to 35 mph also proved to be best inclass for an all electric bus Our research indicates the Xcelsior XE40 is the quietest transit bus ever tested with the FTAs standardized test protocol New Flyer is preparing to return to the Altoona Test Facility in early 2016 with an Xcelsior 60 foot articulated battery electric bus Building upon New Flyers extensive technical expertise and bus building experience the articulated zero emission bus will include the Hydrogenics CelerityPlus fuel cell New Flyer to test fuel cells as way to produce electricity on board buses