Victoria, British Columbia (September 23, 2004) - General Motors of Canada and New Flyer Industries announced today that BC Transit will be the first transit system in Canada to put GM’s advanced hybrid diesel-electric system in regular service. GM’s hybrid-driven buses improve fuel economy by up to 50 percent and reduce emissions by up to 90 percent when compared to a conventional diesel. 

Michael Grimaldi, President of General Motors of Canada, said, “With this agreement, BC Transit will set the standard for fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly bus fleets in Canada.  We are in discussions with other transit agencies in Canada and have received genuine interest from authorities in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Hamilton and other jurisdictions.” 

John Marinucci, President and CEO of New Flyer said, "We are extremely pleased to announce our first hybrid electric bus sale in Canada after considerable success in the U.S. New Flyer and GM have emerged as the industry leaders in this field. We have a significant portion of our production dedicated to hybrids and we look forward to providing our hybrid buses to other transit systems across Canada." 

BC Transit, the provincial agency responsible for municipal transit systems across the province, has signed a contract to purchase six 40-foot (12m) production hybrid diesel-electric buses, with delivery in the spring of 2005. Three of the buses will go to the Victoria Regional Transit System and three to the Kelowna Regional Transit System. The GM hybrid system uses dual electric motors for regenerative braking that slow the bus down and capture the energy into the advanced battery system.  This captured electrical energy is then used to launch the bus from a stop using quiet electric motors instead of the diesel engine.

“BC Transit is committed to identifying and adopting new technologies to enhance environmental quality,” said Greg Solcombe, Chair of BC Transit. “The hybrid electric bus has major advantages in not only environmental quality but in lower operating and life cycle costs as well as fuel costs. We look forward to putting these buses into service.” 

Industry Minister David L. Emerson said, "British Columbia has long been on the cutting edge of environmental technologies and I am pleased to see the adoption of these hybrid buses as a continuation of the region's leadership in this area.” “These hybrid-buses are an excellent example of putting advanced technologies into action to help Canada address climate change,” said the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada.  Environment Minister Stephane Dion also adds, “It is this kind of collaboration that will allow Canada and Canadian business to become global leaders in innovation and environmental excellence''. 

New Flyer is headquartered in Winnipeg with two facilities in the U.S. and is the largest manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in North America. New Flyer’s innovative low-floor and articulated buses are operated by public transit authorities in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Seattle and many other major cities in North America. New Flyer is also supplying 235 GM Allison hybrid buses to King County, Washington. By the end of 2004, New Flyer will have 309 hybrid buses in operation with over 1 million service miles. 

General Motors of Canada employs 22,000 people nationwide.  GM of Canada manufactures a variety of vehicles, engines, transmissions and other components, and markets the full range of General Motors vehicles and related services through 795 dealerships and retailers across Canada.  Vehicles sold through this network include Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Hummer, Saturn and Saab.

Contact:
Paul Smith, New Flyer 
204-224-1251