New Flyer of America Inc. is advancing production of 105 Xcelsior® diesel-electric hybrid, 40-foot heavy-duty transit buses for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). It is the second installment of a five-year contract for 525 hybrid buses approved by SEPTA in May 2016.

The buses will be deployed in the City of Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs of Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester, supporting four million people living in and around southeastern Pennsylvania. The diesel-electric Xcelsiors will help deliver on SEPTA’s strategic focus on environmental sustainability and tightened emissions controls.

SEPTA GM Jeffrey Knueppel noted that while over half of SEPTA’s current bus fleet are diesel-electric hybrids, at the conclusion of the five-year contract, hybrids will comprise 95% of its bus fleet. "Public transportation is an environmentally-friendly way to get around, and it's only getting greener with more hybrid buses on the road," Knueppel said. "SEPTA is proud to be an industry leader in providing cleaner, more fuel-efficient travel by increasing hybrid buses in its fleet."

“We are proud to deliver electric hybrids to the City of Philadelphia and the region,” stated Wayne Joseph, president of New Flyer of America. “As SEPTA continues to deliver on innovation, integration, and renewal through 2019, we will be there to support its goals of lower emissions, reliable transportation, and greater environmental sustainability.”