Biz Briefs: New Flyer to Supply Buses, GreenPower and ViriCiti Forge New Partnerships, and More
A look at some of the latest supplier news.
by METRO Staff
July 7, 2021
3 min to read
New Flyer to Supply Bee-Line Hybrid-Electric Vehicles
The Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation, operating as the ”Bee-Line,” exercised an option with New Flyer of America Inc. to purchase 40 additional Xcelsior® 40-foot hybrid-electric buses. The options are being exercised from New Flyer’s backlog, bringing the total number of hybrid-electric buses in the Bee-Line fleet to 279.
The Bee-Line is Westchester County’s bus system, serving over 27 million passengers annually in the White Plains region of New York state. The purchase follows an original contract for 66 Xcelsior 40-foot hybrid-electric buses announced earlier this year and supports Westchester County’s sustainable mobility development plan under its Westchester 2025, a set of planning policies designed to realize the county's future vision.
ViriCiti, the leading telematics provider for electric buses, will bring its fleet management expertise to electric motorcoaches via its latest partnership with ABC Companies.
ViriCiti and ABC Companies announced that ABC Connect Telematics, which is used to manage all Van Hool CX45E electric motorcoaches, will be powered by ViriCiti. This comes as a result of a long-standing collaboration, where ViriCiti is already used to monitor 290 diesel and electric motorcoaches under the ABC Connect telematics program.
The battery-electric motorcoaches, which are currently used for corporate commuter shuttle-service in and around the San Francisco Bay Area, will be closely monitored by ABC’s SVT (Specialty Vehicles and Technology) team to scrupulously study every kilowatt consumed during operation to understand and optimize the vehicle’s overall efficiency.
WeDriveU Taps GreenPower for Zero Emissions Vehicles
GreenPower Motor Company Inc. is teaming with WeDriveU to add EV Stars to its electric shuttle fleet. The purpose-built all-electric EV Star will be integral in the expansion of WeDriveU’s zero emissions fleet for customers across the U.S. Greenpower expects to deliver the first EV Star to WeDriveU in the current quarter with additional units planned by the end of the calendar year.
“Fleet electrification continues to expand as major companies and universities are advocating for a more sustainable approach,” said Tim Wayland, CCO at WeDriveU. “By securing vehicles and infrastructure, WeDriveU is positioned to be the zero-emission shuttle operator of choice.”
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NFI Parts to Supply Timi's Tours with Purification Systems
NFI Parts™ was selected by Timi’s Tours to outfit its fleet with the NFI Parts exclusive Proactive Air and Surface Purification (PASP) system to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.
The PASP system uses proprietary technology to create advanced purification by producing High Energy Clusters, which are distributed throughout the interior of the vehicle, safely sanitizing both air and surfaces, and leaving behind virtually no harmful residue. The system can mount directly in the passenger compartment, or in a motorcoach evaporator compartment for direct exposure to where viruses may circulate. Installation only requires 12V power to operate and does not void any vehicle system warranties.
What truly drives the cost of a paratransit fleet? Beyond the purchase price, seven operational factors quietly determine maintenance frequency, downtime, and long-term service reliability. This whitepaper explores how these factors shape lifecycle cost and what agencies should evaluate when selecting paratransit vehicles.
In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.
Originally introduced in 2023 as the Bus Line Redesign, the effort has evolved into a more targeted update that maintains familiar routes while improving reliability, frequency, evening and weekend service, and connections across Allegheny County.
S3 will connect communities along SR 522 with fast, reliable, battery-electric bus service from Shoreline South Station to Bothell via Kenmore and Lake Forest Park.
The configuration uses Ster Seating's Gemini seat platform to create a family-friendly floor layout specifically engineered to accommodate parents traveling with young children.
The Renton Transit Center project will relocate and rebuild the Renton Transit Center to better serve the regional Stride S1 line, local King County Metro services, and the future RapidRide I Line.
