NFI receives order for 126 BYD ADL electric buses from First Bus for Glasgow, the largest electric vehicle award in Scottish history

LARBERT, Scotland, March 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: NFI, OTC: NFYEF) NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today announced that the Alexander Dennis Limited (“ADL”) and BYD UK electric vehicle partnership (“BYD ADL”), the UK’s leading electric bus producer, has received a firm order from First Bus for a further 126 zero-emission buses for Glasgow. The order is the largest ever for electric buses in Scotland and is partially funded by the Scottish Government through the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEB). ADL is a subsidiary of NFI.

This firm order includes 91 double deck and 35 single deck buses. These vehicles are part of NFI and ADL’s March 22^nd announcement that the BYD ADL partnership was the intended supplier on 172 successful zero-emission bus proposals part-funded by SULEB.

These new vehicles will all be introduced to the Glasgow city bus network by March 2023. They will join two BYD ADL Enviro200EV that have been in service since January 2020, as well as 22 similar single deck buses ordered in February 2021 for delivery ahead of the UN’s COP26 climate summit. In total, ADL will have 150 electric buses in service in Scotland’s largest city.

Using BYD’s battery electric driveline technology, ADL will assemble the buses at its factory in Falkirk, ensuring the investment benefits the local economy in Scotland’s Central Belt.

“We are excited about this large investment by First Bus in new zero-emission electric buses as NFI and our partner BYD continue to drive electric mobility in the UK,” said Paul Soubry, President & Chief Executive Officer, NFI. “These vehicles will be built at our factory in Falkirk, and it is great news for Scotland that this investment is being recycled into the local economy, allowing the benefits to be felt across our communities whilst helping to underpin skilled jobs.”

Janette Bell, Managing Director, First Bus, said, “As leaders in sustainable mobility, we are fully aligned with the Government’s ambitions for a zero-carbon bus fleet and have already committed to this by 2035. We will continue to ensure that our progress doesn’t just exceed the expectation outlined in the Strategy, but that it also puts the expectations of our customers front and centre.”

Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director, First Glasgow, said, “We have led the way with bus operators in Glasgow as a key partner of Glasgow City Council for the country’s first ever LEZ rollout, and this latest announcement helps us to deliver shared objectives and make up lost time due to the pandemic.”