NICE orders up to 36 zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ buses from New Flyer

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 buses.  

The five-year contract includes options for up to 30 battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ 40-foot buses. 

With the order, NICE becomes the seventh agency in New York State 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, New York, providing more than 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,” said Paul Soubry, president and CEO, 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. This is smart mobility in motion.” 

New Flyer says its Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ battery-electric buses provide up to 525kWh of power and 250 miles of range on a single charge. Introduced in 2021, the Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ bus incorporates high-energy batteries that extend range up to 13 percent, advanced protective battery packaging for easy install and simpler serviceability and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90 percent energy recovery, according to the company.  

“Nassau Inter-County Express has selected New Flyer as our new battery-electric bus vendor,” said Jack Khzouz, CEO, NICE. “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.”