The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has ordered 50 zero-emission buses from New Flyer of America, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc.
The order includes 40 Xcelsior CHARGE FC hydrogen fuel cell-electric buses and 10 Xcelsior CHARGE NG battery-electric buses.
These vehicles were added to NFI’s order backlog for the fourth quarter of 2024 and will be funded through a combination of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants and local financing.
OCTA serves 3.2 million residents across 34 cities in Orange County, California, and provides over 33 million passenger trips annually.
The agency has been incorporating zero-emission technology into its fleet since a hydrogen fuel cell-electric bus pilot programme in 2020, followed by a battery-electric bus pilot in 2022. Both pilot schemes utilised New Flyer buses.
To support its hydrogen programme, OCTA has developed the largest hydrogen fueling station for transit buses in the United States.
Chris Stoddart, President of North American Bus and Coach at NFI said:OCTA’s investment in advanced, high-performance transportation is a win for both Orange County and US bus manufacturing. Our partnership of nearly 35 years reflects New Flyer’s ability to deliver reliable, cost-effective and clean transit solutions that support economic growth, job creation, and energy efficiency for communities like Orange County.
