MTA goes green with Nova Bus helping to lead the way

PLATTSBURGH | With a strategically important contract award, five of Nova Bus's nationally recognized LFSe+ electric buses will soon be heading to the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The 40' long-range, 100-percent battery electric buses will be manufactured at the Nova Bus facility in Plattsburgh with expected delivery in the fourth quarter of 2023. Nova Bus officials said the purchase is in line with the MTA's goal of transitioning its entire 5,800 bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2040. All bus procurements will be exclusively zero-emissions by 2029. The order of five Nova Bus LFSe+ will support the MTA's transition by integrating a new electric bus model to its fleet. The MTA operates the largest public transportation agency in North America, carrying 16 percent of all bus passengers. This year, it received $116,000,000 through the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Low or No Emission Grant Program to buy battery electric buses to replace older diesel buses and launch a comprehensive workforce training and development program. With an electric drive motor coupled with BAE Systems' next-generation power electronics focused on efficiency, the Nova Bus LFSe+ long-range electric bus provides reduced maintenance costs and eliminates all emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases, making it a first-choice solution for the transition to sustainable public transport. "We are delighted that our LFSe+ will be joining the growing MTA fleet of electric buses," Nova Bus President Martin Larose said. "The MTA is a long-standing partner of Nova Bus and we are thrilled to be part of its transition to electromobility, as well as humbled to be supporting its goal of reaching a zero-emission fleet by 2040. We are excited about the future and looking forward to every community benefiting from cleaner air thanks to zero-emission buses in New York." The North Country Chamber of Commerce quickly applauded word of the latest contract and its strategic implications. "While small in number, this is a strategically important step by the MTA as it begins its eventual full transition to electric buses," Chamber President Garry Douglas said Oct. 18. "This initial order and others like it by other transit authorities will begin the process of gaining knowledge and readiness for larger numbers to come. The MTA is the nation's largest customer for transit equipment, and we welcome the opportunity for them to experience the high-quality electric buses now coming off the line at Plattsburgh. We thank the MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul and her administration for furthering the production of green transportation equipment in upstate New York, and we congratulate Nova Bus, its skilled workforce and its able suppliers on this significant milestone." Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) said, "The recent announcement that Nova Bus will be building five new electric buses for MTA in New York City is great news and is an example as to why leaders across the North Country have worked so hard over the past 20 years to develop a manufacturing transportation cluster in our region. "Creating a central location for transportation manufacturing has allowed organizations like MTA to purchase new equipment within New York State and keep that money local. We are sure to see more contracts like this as people make the transition to electric. This is a proud moment for the North Country and Nova Bus, and I will continue to promote and support the transportation manufacturing industry." Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor Michael Cashman said Nova Bus's state-of-the-art technology paired with its talented local workforce makes the company "a world-class industrial leader. "We know it. New York State knows it. Nova knows it. The green economy and electric technology are not a fad. Nova is literally helping drive our state forward to a more sustainable future."

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MTA goes green with Nova Bus helping to lead the way

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