The End of Daimler Buses NA

[RailBus63]

Not to be an a**hole, but this is one less company MTS as to compete with.

 

This doesn't really help Millennium much - there is still too much bus-building capacity chasing far too few orders.

[R188 7857]

Ahh, sht. Orion was my favorite manufacturer, loved the O5 and O7.

[LRG]

I'm going to miss Orion. I love their older product, the Orion 5, and their new Orion 7 Third Gens just started to grow on me. It's a shame they have to go out of business but all things must come to an end eventually. Thank you to Orion for your service to North America. I will miss you.

[Cait Sith]

Damn I was just about to buy an LFS too........ Now i'm not really sure if I want too..... But yet again, i'm not going to cough up the hundreds of thousands for a new Orion, and by the time the O7's go used, the LFS will be dead and gone. Maybe I should get an O5CNG instead.... I was actually debating it for awhile...

 

 

But anyways, on the subject, i'm not really surprised. As O7 said, the MTA was pretty much the only purchaser of the NG's.

 

Not quite....

 

Houston METRO

TTC

CENTRO

OC Transpo

Sacremento Regional Transit

Visalia City Coach

Ulster County Area Transit

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority

EMTA

Yolobus

 

The list goes on.....

[Novasupporter]

This doesn't really help Millennium much - there is still too much bus-building capacity chasing far too few orders.

 

This will increase the pressure to reduce prices among the remaining builders. I don't know much about Millennium but where is their price in comparison with New Flyer and Nova? Can they afford to reduce pricing or will Millennium end up leaving as well?

[aemoreira81]

Nope, the NICE order will still be built by Orion. THANK GOD there won't be any NABIs.

 

 

After this order, however, NICE will need a new supplier. I would not be surprise if NICE turned to Gillig, which now makes CNG buses.

 

As for Orion's downfall...it had to be when the market adjusted to agencies truly taking the low bidder.

[Burrstone]

This is not good news for me and others in the industry (Driveaway aka transporting vehicles).. The same amount of buses might be built in the future but with fewer builders it leaves room for the people in the office of the builder to look to reduce costs by giving all the business to one driveaway company. The people in the office of the driveaway company will offer the lowest price to keep the business and keep it out of the hands of a competitor, thus making the drivers do the same work for less money.

[Burrstone]

Nice will look to NABI, as they have many locations where they work together ( Las Vegas, Phoenix) now that would be interesting,,, NABI Gen III CNG like the DART model on Long Island.

 

 

I don't think NICE cares what equipment other Veolia properties use... The next order will probably go to the lowest bider.

 

Although I (said it before and I'll say it again) the CEO and COO have decades of experience, I wonder what buses they prefer or view as more reliable over their career? I could see their personal preference coming into play.

 

I guess New Flyer Wins the bus test program, and I guess the MTA and Nice Bus now have to get New Flyers.

It'll be cool to see an LFS CNG.

 

New Flyer for Life

 

It's a shocker. Obviously the huge 40-footer Orion order that the MTA had planned (?) for the end of the year will never happen now.

 

 

What's going on with New Flyer not taking on any new orders until they clear up their backlog? How long will this last?

[theaveragejoe]

Damn I was just about to buy an LFS too........ Now i'm not really sure if I want too..... But yet again, i'm not going to cough up the hundreds of thousands for a new Orion, and by the time the O7's go used, the LFS will be dead and gone. Maybe I should get an O5CNG instead.... I was actually debating it for awhile...

 

 

But anyways, on the subject, i'm not really surprised.As O7 said, the MTA was pretty much the only purchaser of the NG's.

 

 

 

Operators for Orion VII Next Generation

Canada

 

• OC Transpo - Ottawa, ON

• Mississauga Transit - Mississauga, ON

• Niagara Falls Transit - Niagara Falls, ON

• Saint John Transit - Saint John, NB

• Sault Ste. Marie Transit - Sault Ste. Marie, ON

• Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - Toronto, ON

 

United States

 

• Augusta Transit - Augusta, GA (2 units on order)

• Albany Transit System (ATS) - Albany, GA (6 units on order)

• Asheville Transit System - Asheville, NC

• Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses (AMA) - San Juan, PR

• Broome County Transit (B.C. Transit) - Binghamton, NY

• Bus Line Service of Turlock (BLAST) - Turlock, CA

• Butte Regional Transit - Butte County, CA

• Campus Area Transportation System (CATS) - University of Vermont

• Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (CENTRO) - Syracuse and Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga & Oneida counties, NY (62 units on order)

• Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority - Des Moines, IA

• Charm City Circulator (operated by Veolia Transportation) - Baltimore, MD

• Dutchess County LOOP - Dutchess County, NY

• Erie Metropolitan Transportation Authority - Erie, PA

• Elk Grove Transit (e-Tran) - Elk Grove, CA

• Fairfax Connector - Fairfax, VA

• Grand Canyon National Park Lodges - Grand Canyon, AZ

• King County Metro (KCM) - Seattle, WA

• Merced County Transit - Merced, CA

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority - New York, NY

• Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) - Houston, TX

• New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) - New Orleans, LA

• New York University (operated by Academy Bus Lines) - New York, NY

• Pace - Suburban Chicago, IL

• Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) - Piedmont Triad, NC

• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - New York, NY

• Razorback Transit - Fayetteville, AK

• Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. - New York, NY

• Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) - Sacramento, CA

• Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services - Saginaw, MI (5 units on order)

• Sonoma County Transit - Sonoma County, CA

• Stanislaus Regional Transit (StaRT) - Stanislaus County, CA

• Suffolk County Transit - Suffolk County, NY

• Thousand Oaks Transit - Thousand Oaks, CA

• Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) - Ithaca & Tompkins County, NY

• Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) - Ulster County, NY

• Union City Transit - Union City, CA

• University of Georgia Campus Transit - Athens, GA

• Visalia City Coach (VCC) - Visalia, CA

• Yolo County Transportation District (Yolobus) - Woodland & Yolo County, CA

• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) - Washington, DC (51 units on order)

 

 

http://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Orion_Bus_Industries_%27Orion_VII_Next_Generation%27

[theaveragejoe]

oh and how could I forget NICE too lol

[QM1to6Ave]

I'm curious, why does Daimler say that Orions cannot be sold overseas? I would think that a moldly reconfigured version would be a hit somewhere in Europe or maybe even Asia where they do not have the super-narrow, tiny streets.

[East New York]

I'm curious, why does Daimler say that Orions cannot be sold overseas? I would think that a moldly reconfigured version would be a hit somewhere in Europe or maybe even Asia where they do not have the super-narrow, tiny streets.

 

 

Daimler could sell Orions overseas, but it wouldn't be cost effective, and there was really not an opportunity for the division to grow without competing with other Daimler bus products.

[Brighton Express]

Down here in Virginia, we still have some of those Orion V buses. We are beginning to get some of those newer ones, NovaBus LFS I think they are called. I saw one yesterday, and about 4 today.

 

RIP Orion.

[KeystoneRegional]

From my talks with Veolia reps at the meeting, they only mentioned New Flyers for Nassau in Articulated form. Looks like the will get New Flyers in the future.

 

However again, it's sad to see Orion Bus see the end of the tracks, I admit Orion Buses are one of my most favorite buses despite them being so popular, it's a sad loss and we'll never forget.

[Joel Up Front]

Artics would be far more viable if the LIRR stations weren't put into such tight turns. A D60 might be able to handle the stretch past Jamaica but how will it handle the turn off Merrick Road onto Henry Street?

 

Also, I thought all the buses for LI were meant to be CNG. The diesel pumps have been inactive for years now, never mind the cost of acquiring it...

[Lothian]

What's going on with New Flyer not taking on any new orders until they clear up their backlog? How long will this last?

 

I call BS. I have yet to hear this from an official source. Why would NFI do that when their backlog is at its lowest in years? Doesn't make any sense to me.

[mtattrain]

Oh HELL no!

[Threxx]

Down here in Virginia, we still have some of those Orion V buses. We are beginning to get some of those newer ones, NovaBus LFS I think they are called. I saw one yesterday, and about 4 today.

 

RIP Orion.

 

 

You guys got Novas? Cool!

[Brighton Express]

You guys got Novas? Cool!

 

My bad, I am not that good with the buses.

 

They are actually the Orion VIIs.

[NYCtrainfan01]

Damn. Tough to see Orion go. My favorite Orion Bus would be the Orion VII OG model. The Orion V is my second favorite.

 

I will say this: I'm glad the MTA and NF buried their feud some years back (was it over the Artics? I don't remember), otherwise there would be mainly Nova and an unknown (or maybe NABI).

Yeah it was over artics. The MTA at the time ordered the D60HF's but New Flyer had just discontinued the HF model. New Flyer did send over a D60LF demo but the MTA didn't approve of it. The reason slips my mind at the moment. I'm glad the MTA buried the hatchet with New Flyer though.

[Burrstone]

I'd pay to deliver the last bus to roll out of Oriskany!!!! Can you say be a part of history???

[w8Hou]

This will increase the pressure to reduce prices among the remaining builders. I don't know much about Millennium but where is their price in comparison with New Flyer and Nova? Can they afford to reduce pricing or will Millennium end up leaving as well?

 

You forgot Gillig.

 

Gillig has won lots of contracts and eaten up Orion bus market share in past years. Gillig low bid, always win usually.

[trainfan22]

I was a big fan of the Orion V, third favorite bus behind the C40LF & RTS.

 

These hybrids grew on me as time went by, I don't really mind them now. Especially since I realized the ZF trannys on the LFS and newer LSFAs make little to no noise, I just be hearing the engine revving lol.

 

Only plus out of this is that, exception of the 3G CNG, no bus will be added to the MTA fleet in the near future with the horrid seating setup in the LI Bus NGs & 3G test fleet buses. I like those 3G buses but man I hated that seating setup with a passion.

[KeystoneRegional]

You forgot Gillig.

 

Gillig has won lots of contracts and eaten up Orion bus market share in past years. Gillig low bid, always win usually.

 

 

From Veolia's record and fleet arrangement, they are probably not going to get Gilligs since they are mostly ordering Orions, and they only mentioned NFI as a possible replacement to the Orions.

 

I wouldn't be surprised about them ordering Gilligs however still, it would be an interesting turn of events in Nassau and Veolia.

[Novasupporter]

You forgot Gillig.

 

Gillig has won lots of contracts and eaten up Orion bus market share in past years. Gillig low bid, always win usually.

 

 

That was intentional considering they were not part of the BT&E Program. With the talks I have seen about Millennium wanting to get back in the MTA their competition currently would be New Flyer and Nova.