The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) purchased two Xcelsior CHARGE battery-electric, 40-foot heavy-duty transit buses from New Flyer. The order also includes two ABB depot chargers and commissioning by New Flyer Infrastructure Solutions to support electric bus deployment and infrastructure development in Columbus, Ohio.

The purchase — part of a two-year contract with options to purchase an additional eight zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE buses and supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds — furthers COTA’s five-year strategic plan to improve customer experience, provide mobility options, and prioritize the use of data and analytics.

“New Flyer has proudly delivered over 135 transit buses to COTA since 2001,” said New Flyer’s President Chris Stoddart. “In addition to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, New Flyer’s battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE buses can save up to $125,000 in maintenance costs and up to $400,000 in fuel costs over its 12-year lifespan.”

COTA is the public transit agency serving the Columbus metropolitan area and operating fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit services. This year, the agency received the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) for the second time in three years.