New Flyer Industries Inc., along with its consortium partners, announced it has been awarded approximately $3.4 million in funding through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to further enhance rapid-charge battery-electric bus propulsion technology.

The funding will contribute to ongoing work to create the future of green public transportation underway here in Manitoba with New Flyer’s consortium partners, which includes the Manitoba Government, Manitoba Hydro, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Red River College and Winnipeg Transit.

The SDTC project involves the development and implementation of four rapid-charge battery-electric transit buses and a high capacity charging station.

The buses are targeted to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2013 and will be operated by Winnipeg Transit in revenue service over a four-year period. This project will examine the technology and key operational performance issues, including the charging system, battery capacity, component life and reliability, and the assessment of both operational and lifecycle cost savings.

This announcement comes on the heels of the consortium partners unveiling of the battery-electric bus prototype on June 1, 2012, an award by the Chicago Transit Authority to New Flyer on June 21, 2012 for two battery-electric buses and the unveiling of two New Flyer all-electric accessory hybrid-electric buses by Minneapolis Metro on Aug. 14, 2012.

New Flyer’s electrification development has been focused on the Xcelsior platform, the company’s highly successful next-generation transit bus.