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RailBus63

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Posts posted by RailBus63

  1. I don't see NFI moving away from the Xcelsior design anytime soon. Engineering for an all-new design is not cheap and it's not like a 'fresh' look is going to result in a huge increase in sales (which they might have difficulty filling anyways). Plus, they are seeing success with the electric version of the Xcelsior and are getting the hydrogen version delivered now as well. I think the Xcelsior is going to be NFI's primary product for many years to come. Just my 2 cents. 

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  2. 21 hours ago, Conductor23 said:

     

    It's interesting to see the different market strategies Volvo has employed in Europe, Asia, and North America regarding complete buses and chassis-only options. Offering both seems to provide flexibility and cater to diverse market demands. Adapting to each region's dynamics, especially in terms of manufacturing capacities and customer preferences, is crucial. Setting up new coach works indeed presents its own challenges. Do you think Volvo's approach in North America might evolve in the future, considering market trends and demands?

    I don't see the separation of bus body and chassis building ever becoming widespread in North America, because any company investing in the body business would need Gillig. NFI and others to be willing to join Nova in this endeavor and that doesn't seem realistic. What would a Gillig or New Flyer have to offer if they didn't build the entire bus?  It's not like they design and build their own engines and transmissions. 

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  3. People tend to vastly overestimate the savings possible in merging smaller entities into one larger entity. Look at DASH as an example  - it seems to be well-run and successful and is responsive to Alexandria and its residents. Why would a merger into a Northern Virginia transit authority be a good thing for Alexandria?

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  4. 2 hours ago, FlyerD901 said:

    Maybe the regulations are too tight. I mean 3 major companies being hit with similar lawsuits because of EPA. 

    That doesn't excuse an intentional and systematic effort to bypass those regulations on almost a million trucks. 

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  5. 2 hours ago, 3we said:

    The assets to be acquired include a development center for battery modules and packs in California and an assembly factory in South Carolina.

    Maybe move the LFS production from Plattsburgh to South Carolina.

     

    Please read the post above yours - Volvo only bought the battery business. The South Carolina plant they bought is not a bus manufacturing facility, so no, the LFS will not be built there. 

  6. On 10/25/2023 at 3:49 PM, OhWellDavid said:

    Back for another update!
    - GoDurham received their brand new electric buses, now confirmed to be 2023 Gillig Low Floor Plus EVs, numbered 2301-2308. These units are planning to replace some units and to expand service. These are planned to start running very soon. They are wrapped in the standard GoDurham scheme.

     

    Looks like it's six new electric buses, not eight. At least one bus (#2303) can be seen wrapped in the video accompanying this news story. Plans are to have them on the road by Thanksgiving. I assume that the 0800's will be taken off the road at that time. 

    GoDurham adds 6 new electric buses to fleet with plans for more in the future

  7. 52 minutes ago, chickenpotpie said:

    Does anyone know why most Gillig LFs have those bars/brackets that go over the rearmost passenger windows? Is it a structural member?

    I believe it's to help prevent passengers from falling out of the bus if the emergency window unexpectedly swung open. 

  8. On 10/2/2023 at 8:08 PM, Orion_II said:

    As for the 2005 order, I dont have a full order price, but I do have a document regarding the decision to acquire 35 more D40s to replace the 93 articulated busses, and in this document it states that these 35 additional busses cost the city another 14.3 million dollars, which we can use to estimate the per unit cost, and when we divide 14.3 million by 35, we get exactly $400,000 dollars, which makes sense as the order was nearly double the 2003 order, so a roughly 10% discount makes sense for a bulk order like this

    A 72-bus order wouldn't merit a bulk discount like that, though - it's still small potatoes compared to the multi-hundred bus orders placed by the big agencies. If Mississauga received a discount for the 2005 buses, it would likely have been due to competition from Orion and maybe NovaBus.

  9. On 8/24/2023 at 10:54 PM, Glennwood Road Ent. said:

    Is this due to inflation issues in California 

    The bigger issue likely is that Proterra has had financial issues for a while now, so they couldn't afford the added expense of running two manufacturing facilities unless they were fully booked with enough orders to keep both of them busy.

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  10. On 8/9/2023 at 7:21 PM, Bus_Medic said:

    I think their only path forward is to strictly become a powertrain supplier for others, if someone doesn’t acquire them to get at their patents.
    After Philly went to court about body cracks everyone rightfully got cold feet. 

    This would make a ton of sense. Similar to when builders offered multiple powertrain options, Gillig/NFI/Nova could offer Proterra, Siemens and/or Cummins battery-electric options. 

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  11. On 7/21/2023 at 7:47 AM, New Yorker 2001 said:

    Wish they would just cancel this stupid order already and convert it to XN40s or XHE40s instead. Too many delays. Most likely, they will just wait and see how NICE do with theirs (as #2080 is already assigned to MF Depot, but not yet entered service) as well as the Bee Lines units.

    They're not cancelling this order, electric buses are the future. The delay is about getting these buses right. An electric bus spontaneously combusting on a New York street would be a disaster. 

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  12. Many motorists act like idiots when encountering a transit bus making a service stop, no matter what flashers are being used. My strong recommendation to bicyclists would be to wait and let the bus complete its stop and merge back into street traffic before you resume your ride.  Attempting to pass a stopped bus on a bicycle (or a scooter) is extremely risky from the perspective of reckless motorists, pedestrians darting across the street, other motorists looking to turn into the main road from a side street who see a stopped bus as an opportunity to go for it, etc. 

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  13. 4 hours ago, New Yorker 2001 said:

    And kinda stupid too if you think about it. Their upstate NY plant barely a decade old. It's possible they could sell it to one of their competitors for a really good price point. 

    The plant likely has limited value due to New York state being a very expensive place to do business in.

  14. On 6/14/2023 at 11:51 AM, New Yorker 2001 said:

    Because the MTA has no history with them and therefore never purchased anything from them.

     

    Hitachi or any other builder can potentially be qualified if they go through the process and meet the authority's approval.  Kawasaki and Alstom were new builders with no MTA experience at one time also. 

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  15. On 5/2/2023 at 3:00 AM, HR2012TPA said:

    I've been hearing much speculation that the whole process may be paused indefinitely for further investigation, as we saw when the R179s were yanked.

    The more knowledgeable posters on the NYCTF board don't seem to believe this.

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