New Flyer wins first ever order from PACE for 75 Xcelsior buses to revitalize Chicagoland transit service

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August 12, 2019 | New Flyer

St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA – August 12, 2019: (TSX: NFI) New Flyer of America Inc. (“New Flyer”), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today announced a new contract for 75 clean-diesel, forty-foot Xcelsior® heavy-duty transit buses for Pace Suburban Bus (“Pace”).

The new fleet will replace older buses currently in operation, while growing Pace’s service footprint to support its Vision 2020 strategic plan which outlines a more efficient long-range network that is convenient and easy for passengers to understand.

“Public transit plays a critical role in developing smart mobility solutions for growing cities, and as the backbone of Chicago’s suburbs, Pace is establishing the foundation for mobility to more than 8 million residents,” said Chris Stoddart, President, New Flyer. “As part of its network and service expansion, we are thrilled to support Pace with its first ever order for New Flyer’s safe, reliable, and fully accessible Xcelsior transit buses that will significantly improve the passenger experience.”

“We are delighted to modernize our fleet with new Xcelsior buses from New Flyer,” said Rocky Donahue, Pace’s Executive Director. “These clean-diesel buses use ultra-low sulfur fuel with a four-step filtration process to remove harmful emissions from the exhaust, adding to our inventory of emission-reducing buses. These vehicles support our mission to be a good steward of the environment.”

Pace is the suburban bus division and regional paratransit provider of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area, covering six counties over 3,400 square miles and providing over 35 million passenger trips per year. Pace's family of public transportation services includes vanpool, rideshare matching, community-based transportation programs, and also recently expanded with Pulse, Pace’s new rapid transit network. Pace, an industry leader, was named a 2019 Clean Fuels Champion by Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC), a nonprofit coalition dedicated to promoting clean-vehicles and clean-air solutions for transportation.

Pace also operates nearly 40 over-the-road coaches from Motor Coach Industries, another NFI subsidiary.

New Flyer has been leading innovation in transit for nearly 90 years. In 2017, it opened the Vehicle Innovation Center, the first and only innovation lab of its kind dedicated to advancing bus and coach technology, and in 2018 became the first bus manufacturer in the world to sign on to the Shared Mobility Principles for Livable Cities. It is the only provider of full suite bus solutions in North America, offering transit buses, motor coaches, and low-floor cutaway buses.