Blacksburg Transit Orders 5 New Flyer Battery-Electric Buses

New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer) received a new contract from Blacksburg Transit (BT) for three forty-foot Xcelsior Charge NG heavy- duty transit buses and two sixty-foot zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior Charge NG transit buses.

The order follows a prior BT purchase of five Xcelsior Charge buses in 35-foot and sixty-foot lengths, delivered in 2020.

BT provides public transportation in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, Christiansburg, and parts of Montgomery County in Virginia, delivering over 3.7 million annual passenger trips.

The purchase, supported through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission (Low-No) Grant Program funding, supports BT’s objectives to reach fleet energy efficiency and positive environmental impacts.

“Since 1998, NFI has delivered nearly 90 vehicles to Blacksburg Transit, powering Virginia’s transportation system with reliable mobility,” said Chris Stoddart, president, North American Bus and Coach. “By adding high performance battery-electric buses, Blacksburg Transit is leveraging NFI technology to provide more efficient and longer-range mobility, that ultimately eliminates greenhouse gases and delivers quieter transportation.”

Introduced in 2021, the Xcelsior Charge NG bus incorporates three technology advancements, including high-energy batteries that extend range up to 13%, advanced protective battery packaging, and a new electric traction drive system with up to 90% energy recovery.

The Xcelsior Charge NG battery-electric buses provide up to 525kWh of energy and up to 250 miles of range on a single charge.