SEPTA Approves Purchase of 400 Hybrid Buses

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has approved the purchase of 400 new diesel-electric hybrid 40-foot low floor buses from New Flyer of America for a contract price of $212.39 million.

The addition of 400 new buses to the 32 diesel-electric hybrid buses already in the authority’s fleet will make Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) one of the largest public transit hybrid bus fleets in US.

The purchase requires delivery of 100 buses per year for each of the calendar years of 2008 through 2011. In addition, an option order can be placed for 20 additional buses per year for a possible total order of 480 buses, increasing the total contract price for the purchase to $253.60 million.

The first pilot bus is scheduled for delivery in March 2008 and the first production bus in July 2008. SEPTA will introduce the new hybrid buses into its bus fleet as the agency retires existing buses that have reached their twelve-year life cycle.