New Flyer of America Inc. and New Flyer Industries Canada ULC (collectively New Flyer), subsidiaries of NFI Group Inc. (NFI), the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer, have formed New Flyer Infrastructure Solutions, a service dedicated to providing safe, reliable, smart, and sustainable charging and mobility solutions.

The New Flyer announcement comes on the heels of the Volkswagen Groups’s announcement of its formation of Elli, a Group company for energy offerings and charging solutions. (Earlier post.)

New Flyer Infrastructure Solutions will support mobility projects from start to finish and focus on energy management optimization as well as infrastructure planning and development, providing a cohesive transition of bus fleets to zero-emission bus (ZEB) technology.

This newly established service offering is the result of ongoing industry efforts to provide smart, sustainable, connected public transit solutions.

Infrastructure Solutions will conduct site visits, provide design and engineering services, oversee qualified Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) partners to provide make-ready utility services and install chargers, coordinate UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) certification, and provide onsite grid-to-bus testing and commissioning to ensure safe, reliable, and cost-effective infrastructure projects.

With the announcement, New Flyer becomes the first North American bus manufacturer to offer a comprehensive infrastructure service. While purchasing a ZEB is one step toward building a zero-emission fleet, developing depot or on route charging infrastructure is the second, most critical step requiring complex technical expertise to ensure successful deployment.

Zero-emission, battery-electric fleets require significant resources to build and deploy supporting infrastructure and interoperable charging, and now, New Flyer is able to lead the charge with proven expertise in project management and grid planning. We look forward to working with agencies in helping overcome hurdles in electric bus and Bus Rapid Transit adoption.

—Chris Stoddart, President, New Flyer

The Infrastructure Solutions team will be based at the Vehicle Innovation Center (VIC) in Anniston, Alabama. The VIC was created by New Flyer in partnership with Motor Coach Industries Inc. (MCI), also a subsidiary of NFI, to deliver on NFI’s commitment to advancing bus and coach technology, and investing in innovation, jobs, infrastructure, and manufacturing.

With the addition of infrastructure capabilities, New Flyer now offers the complete scope of infrastructure solutions from conception through commissioning for small to large fleets from the grid to the bus, including development of grid resiliency, responsibly-sourced energy, logistic support, regulatory navigation, and stakeholder relations.

Infrastructure Solutions currently has partnership programs with leading firms including Black & Veatch, Siemens, ABB, ChargePoint, and Burns & McDonnell, and will continue to grow its key partner network over time.

In 2018, New Flyer became the first bus manufacturer in the world to sign on to the Shared Mobility Principles for Livable Cities, joined CharIN to support industry charging standards for all electric vehicles, became the first licensee outside the Volvo Group to join OppCharge in North America, signed CALSTART’s Global Commercial Drive to Zero to support fast-tracking adoption of clean trucks and buses, and also signed the Transportation Electrification Accord focused on driving an equitable and prosperous future for electrified transportation.

NFI is the only provider of full suite bus solutions in North America, offering transit, motor coach, and low-floor cutaway buses.