New Flyer Celebrates Delivery of 10,000th Xcelsior Bus and Evolution in Transit Innovation

ST. CLOUD, MN, May 22, 2018 /CNW/ - (TSX: NFI) New Flyer of America Inc. ("New Flyer"), the U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., formerly called New Flyer Industries Inc. ("NFI Group"), the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, today celebrated the build and delivery of its 10,000 Xcelsior^® heavy-duty transit bus.

New Flyer marked the 10,000^th bus with delivery of a 60-foot, hybrid diesel-electric Xcelsior bus to King County Metro ("KCM") in Seattle. The articulated bus is propelled by low-emission, hybrid technologies that reduce air pollution and help evolve KCM's transit bus fleet with lower emission solutions to help achieve its goal of an all-electric bus fleet by 2040. The Xcelsior platform, which was launched in North America in 2010, offers a wide variety of low and zero-emission technologies, of which KCM operates clean diesel, diesel hybrid, and electric trolley buses.

New Flyer has continued to stretch the boundaries of innovation with advancements in onboard communication systems, developments in battery-electric propulsion and autonomous partnerships displayed through the Vehicle Innovation Center located in Anniston, Alabama. New Flyer is also the only North American manufacturer to offer all four types of electric drivetrains on heavy-duty transit vehicles: zero-emission battery-electric, fuel cell-electric, or trolley-electric platforms in addition to low-emission diesel-electric hybrids.

"New Flyer is proud to reach this manufacturing milestone as we continue to drive innovation in low and no-emission transportation," said Wayne Joseph, President, New Flyer of America. "We are proud of our long-term partnership with Seattle King County Metro, having delivered over 1,500 buses since the late 1970s. Seattle has been a leader and visionary in leading sustainable transportation, and we look forward to advancing public transit in close collaboration with North American leaders like KCM, as it continues to build its zero-emission footprint in the community."

Seattle King County Metro is one of the nation's most utilized transit authorities, with 190,000 fewer cars congesting Seattle streets each weekday, saving over 70 million gallons of gasoline and 600,000 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. King County Metro's strategic use of low and zero-emission vehicles improves quality of life while providing a foundation for further efficiency.

"King County is proud to provide cleaner, quieter transportation for the greater Seattle area and New Flyer has been an essential partner in achieving these goals," said King County Metro General Manager Rob Gannon. "We are happy to join New Flyer in celebrating this milestone."

King County Metro leads national ridership growth, with over 122 million annual trips. It is a leader in sustainable transportation, investing in zero-emission technologies and infrastructure to make transit faster and more convenient. It was the first to adopt New Flyer's first 60-foot diesel-electric articulated hybrid transit bus in 2002. Since then, KCM has introduced 236 of these hybrid electric buses to the streets of Seattle. Metro also has 174 New Flyer electric trolleys in service in Seattle, where generations of trolleys have been the mainstay of clean and green transit service for over 75 years.

The NFI Group has over 50 years of experience in manufacturing zero-emission buses (ZEBs) and currently has 1,600 of these buses on the road today, the most of any manufacturer in North America.

About NFI Group Inc.

With nearly 6,000 team members, operating from 32 facilities across Canada and the United States, NFI Group Inc. is North America's largest bus manufacturer providing a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions under several brands: New Flyer^® (heavy-duty transit buses), ARBOC^® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), MCI^® (motor coaches), and NFI Parts™ (parts, support, and service). NFI Group's buses incorporate the widest range of drive systems available including: clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell).  For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, NFI Group posted revenues of US $2.4 billion.

NFI Group Inc. common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. News and information are available at www.nfigroup.com.

About New Flyer

New Flyer is North America's heavy-duty transit bus leader and offers the most advanced product line under the Xcelsior^® and Xcelsior CHARGE™ brands. New Flyer actively supports over 44,000 heavy-duty transit buses (New Flyer, NABI, and Orion) currently in service, of which 7,300 are powered by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,600 are zero-emission. Further information is available at www.newflyer.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements relating to expected future events and financial and operating results of NFI Group that involve risks and uncertainties. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, investors cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and the differences may be material. Actual results may differ materially from management expectations as projected in such forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including market and general economic conditions and economic conditions of and funding availability for customers to purchase buses and to purchase parts or services, customers may not exercise options to purchase additional buses, the ability of customers to suspend or terminate contracts for convenience and the other risks and uncertainties discussed in the materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Due to the potential impact of these factors, the NFI Group disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law.      

SOURCE New Flyer of America Inc.