Biz Briefs: NFI Eligible for Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit, Alstom, and More

NFI Group Inc., Alstom, and Optibus recently announced news from their respective companies.

NFI Group Announces Eligibility for U.S. Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit

NFI announced that NFI (and subsidiaries New Flyer of America Inc., Motor Coach Industries Inc., ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC, and Alexander Dennis Incorporated) is now a qualified manufacturer for the commercial clean vehicle credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. 

NFI’s electric vehicles in the U.S. are eligible for up to $40,000 USD in tax credits, per vehicle, from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

There is not currently a limit as to the number of tax credits a business can claim. 

NFI’s battery and fuel cell electric buses and coaches have collectively traveled over 120 million electric service miles, with NFI Infrastructure Solutions’ turnkey smart charging services delivering more than 410 chargers delivered to date.

SNCF Voyageurs, Alstom Present First of Five Battery-Powered Trains

Alstom and SNCF Voyageurs announced that they have presented the first battery-powered Regional Train (TER) at the Rencontres Nationales du Transport Public, in Clermont-Ferrand. 

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie Pyrénées-Méditerranée, and Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions have been working with SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom since 2021 on a project to develop battery-powered trains, to help reduce CO2 emissions on non-electric lines. 

Five dual-mode electric-diesel train sets are to be modified by replacing their diesel engines with batteries, in order to become 100% electric. 

The first battery-powered train set entrusted by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region left the Crespin Alstom site during the summer and has just begun its dynamic tests.

Optibus Opens New Portland Office

Optibus announced the opening of its new office in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon. 

The move emphasizes Optibus' commitment to the city of Portland and its dedication to supporting the revitalization of the downtown area following challenges posed by the pandemic.

Optibus established a presence in Portland with its acquisition of Trillium in 2022. 

From their downtown Portland office, Trillium has been working with public transportation agencies and departments of transportation (DoTs) across the U.S. for 14 years to improve real-time and digital communication about services. 

Local Oregon transportation operators including the Tillamook County Transportation District, Hood River County Transportation District, South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART) in Wilsonville, Sandy Area Metro, as well as the Oregon Department of Transportation, are among the 350 agencies that work with Trillium.