DaimlerChrysler receives orders for 411 Orion VIIs

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have ordered a combined 411 Orion VII hybrid buses from DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America (DCCBNA). The TTC is purchasing 360 of the buses, from options in its original contract, bringing its diesel-electric hybrid fleet to a total of 510, making it the second largest hybrid fleet in North America. The units will be built on the Orion VII Next Generation vehicle platform. MUNI also exercised options to purchase 30 Orion VII 30-foot hybrid buses, bringing its total hybrid fleet currently in production with DCCBNA to 86 units, and the Port Authority purchased its 21 hybrid buses for operations at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports. Orion VII hybrid buses are powered by BAE Systems’ HybriDrive propulsion system and boast up to 35% better fuel economy, while greatly reducing emissions when compared to standard diesel propulsion.