Calif.’s Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) awarded New Flyer a contract for 10 Xcelsior® hydrogen fuel-cell electric, 40-foot, heavy-duty transit buses (10 equivalent units).

The new order helps expand the zero-emission footprint of public transportation across California and adds sustainability to OCTA’s current fleet of just over 500 buses, which will serve communities throughout Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange, Santa Ana, and Westminster.

OCTA and New Flyer are partners in the Fuel Cell Electric Bus Commercialization Consortium (FCEBCC) project. This project is sponsored by a grant from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and is supported by the “California Climate Investments” (CCI) program. CCI is a statewide project that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Additional funding for the project comes from OCTA and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The FCEBCC project is managed by the non-profit Center for Transportation and the Environment.

“New Flyer is proud to support the Orange County Transportation Authority in developing its fleet of zero-emission buses that help preserve the environment in California,” said Wayne Joseph, president, New Flyer of America. “We remain committed to building sustainable transportation across America through advanced innovation and industry collaboration, and to supporting California in its pursuit of zero-emission transportation.”

OCTA serves 34 cities and unincorporated areas of Orange County, covering transportation within the state’s third-largest county and supporting nearly 40 million passengers per year.