New Flyer awarded 45 Xcelsior CNG articulated buses by Central Ohio Transit Authority

New Flyer awarded contract for up to 45 Xcelsior® CNG articulated buses from Central Ohio Transit Authority

ST. CLOUD, Minn., Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: NFI, OTC: NFYEF, TSX: NFI.DB) NFI Group Inc. (NFI), a leading manufacturer of buses and motorcoaches and a provider of comprehensive aftermarket parts and service solutions, subsidiary New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer), today announced it has been awarded a contract from the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) for up to 45 sixty-foot Xcelsior^® compressed natural gas (CNG) heavy-duty transit buses (90 equivalent units, or EUs).

The contract includes a firm order of 12 buses, with options for COTA to purchase up to 33 additional buses. The firm order will be added to New Flyer’s third quarter 2026 backlog, while the option buses will be added to the company’s option backlog.

The articulated Xcelsior CNG buses will replace end-of-life vehicles while supporting the launch of a new bus rapid transit (BRT) service in Columbus and surrounding communities. The purchase is supported by funding awarded through the Low or No Emission (Low-No) Grant Program, following New Flyer and COTA’s successful 2025 collaboration to secure funding for articulated CNG buses.

New Flyer has partnered with COTA since 2000, delivering more than 230 buses, including 102 CNG-powered buses. This latest award represents a new milestone in that relationship, marking COTA’s first purchase of 60-foot New Flyer articulated buses as the agency expands high-capacity transit service across Central Ohio.

“Bus rapid transit is transforming the way communities move, providing greater capacity and an enhanced passenger experience while supporting regional growth,” said Chris Stoddart, President, North American Bus and Coach, NFI. “Delivering COTA’s first 60-foot New Flyer articulated buses is an exciting milestone that reflects the agency’s vision for high-capacity transit and our shared commitment to supporting the future of mobility in central Ohio.”

“The addition of articulated buses to our fleet is another important step toward building the rapid transit system Central Ohio needs and deserves,” said Monica Tellez-Fowler, COTA President/CEO. “As our region continues to grow, we must invest in the capacity, infrastructure, and service needed to move more people efficiently and reliably. These vehicles will help us deliver on the promise of LinkUS and bring high-capacity rapid transit closer to reality for our customers and communities.”

Launched in 1974, COTA is the regional public transit authority serving the greater Columbus metropolitan area. Today, the agency provides fixed-route bus, bus rapid transit, paratransit, and microtransit services across the greater Columbus and Central Ohio area, serving approximately 1.3 million residents. COTA’s network carries more than 12 million passenger trips annually and continues to expand service to meet the transportation needs of one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States.

With the addition of New Flyer’s 60-foot Xcelsior CNG buses, COTA will further strengthen its investment in high-capacity transit designed to improve mobility, support regional growth, and enhance the customer experience along its BRT corridors.

About NFI

NFI is a leading global bus and motorcoach manufacturer and a provider of aftermarket parts and service solutions. With more than 9,000 team members across ten countries and operations spanning over 40 facilities, NFI delivers a comprehensive portfolio of bus and coach platforms.

Through its brands New Flyer^® (heavy-duty transit buses), MCI^® (motorcoaches), Alexander Dennis Limited (single- and double-deck buses), ARBOC^® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and NFI Parts™, NFI supports a diverse and extensive portfolio, serving public transit, commuter, and coach markets. In total, NFI supports an installed base of more than 100,000 buses and coaches worldwide. NFI offers a broad range of propulsion systems, including zero-emission electric (referring to propulsion systems that do not utilize internal combustion engines, such as trolley, battery, and fuel cell), natural gas, electric hybrid, and advanced diesel technologies, providing agencies with multiple fleet technology options. NFI’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NFI) and its convertible unsecured debentures trade under the symbol NFI.DB. News and information is available at www.nfigroup.com, www.newflyer.com, www.mcicoach.com, nfi.parts, www.alexander-dennis.com, arbocsv.com, and carfaircomposites.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. It also offers infrastructure development through NFI Infrastructure Solutions™, a service dedicated to providing safe, sustainable, and reliable charging and mobility solutions. New Flyer actively supports over 35,000 heavy-duty transit buses (New Flyer, NABI, and Orion) currently in service, of which 8,600 are powered by electric motors and battery propulsion, and 1,900 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 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 (including as a result of tariffs and other trade measures) and economic conditions of and funding availability for customers to purchase buses and to purchase parts or services (including as a result of recent U.S. policy developments); customers may not exercise options to purchase additional buses; the ability of customers to suspend or terminate contracts for convenience; production may be delayed or production rates may be decreased as a result of ongoing and future supply chain disruptions and shortages of parts and components, shipping and freight delays, and disruption to and shortage of labor supply; and the other risks and uncertainties discussed in the materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.  

Due to the potential impact of these factors, NFI 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. 

For media inquiries, please contact: 
Melissa Schnee 
P: 385.910.6861 
Melissa_Schnee@newflyer.com 

For investor inquiries, please contact: 
Stephen King 
P: 204.792.1300 
Stephen.King@nfigroup.com 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28f23adb-4e73-4d90-86a5-64ba54d842d4