New Flyer Low Floor

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New Flyer Low Floor
CTA 2006 New Flyer D40LF 1378.jpg
WMATA 2006 New Flyer D40LFR 6128.jpg
King County Metro New Flyer DE60LFA.jpg
Top: D40LF (2006)
Middle: D40LFR (2006)
Bottom: DE60LFA (articulated, 2010)
Overview
Manufacturer New Flyer
Production1991–2013 (1988 pre-production) (LF)
2006–2014 (2005 pre-production) (LFR)
2005–2010 (LFA)
AssemblyCanada:
Winnipeg, Manitoba
United States:
Grand Forks, North Dakota (1991–1996)
Crookston, Minnesota (1996–2014)
St. Cloud, Minnesota (1999–2014)
Body and chassis
Class Transit bus
Body style Monocoque stressed-skin
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission
  • Allison B300R (30-foot) [1]
  • Allison B400R (35- & 40-foot) [2] [3]
  • Allison B500R (60-foot) [4]
  • Allison H 40/50 EP (HExx)
  • ISE-Siemens ThunderVolt (GExx) [5]
  • Voith
  • ZF
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • 169.08 in (4.29 m) (30-foot)
  • 228.25 in (5.80 m) (35-foot)
  • 293 in (7.44 m) (40-foot)
  • F:228.22 in (5.80 m) / R:302.77 in (7.69 m) (60-foot artic.)
Lengthover bumpers:
  • 30.5 ft (9.3 m) (30-foot)
  • 35.5 ft (10.8 m) (35-foot)
  • 40.85 ft (12.5 m) (40-foot)
  • 60.7 ft (18.5 m) (60-foot artic.)
Width102 in (2.59 m)
Height121 in (3.07 m) (diesel, over A/C) to 132 in (3.35 m) (CNG)
Curb weight
  • 24,500 to 26,000 lb (11,100 to 11,800 kg) (30-foot)
  • 26,200 to 28,700 lb (11,900 to 13,000 kg) (35-foot)
  • 27,200 to 29,700 lb (12,300 to 13,500 kg) (40-foot)
  • 41,500 to 43,700 lb (18,800 to 19,800 kg) (60-foot artic.)
Chronology
Predecessor New Flyer High Floor
Successor New Flyer Invero
New Flyer Xcelsior

The New Flyer Low Floor series is a line of low-floor transit buses that was manufactured by New Flyer Industries for the North American market from 1991 to 2014. It was produced in a variety of variants, available in four nominal lengths (ranging from 30 to 60 feet) and three body styles, and with a variety of powertrains, including diesel and compressed natural gas engines, and hybrid electric systems.

Contents

Variants

The Low Floor series includes 38 individual variants, [6] each named according to their powertrain, length, and body style. [6] [7] For example, the D40LF (the most common variant) is a diesel-powered, 40-foot rigid bus with the original styling; while a DE60LFR is a diesel-electric hybrid, 60-foot articulated bus with the "Restyled" body.

Model Codes
Motive powerNominal lengthBody style
C = compressed natural gas
D = conventional diesel
DE = diesel-electric hybrid
E = electric trolleybus
F or H = hydrogen fuel cell
GE = gasoline-electric hybrid
HE = hydrogen-electric hybrid
L = liquefied natural gas 		30 = 30 feet (9.1 m) rigid
35 = 35 feet (11 m) rigid
40 = 40 feet (12 m) rigid
60 = 60 feet (18 m) articulated 		LF = original Low Floor
LFR = Low Floor Restyled
LFA (initially LF-BRT) = Low Floor Advanced

Not all possible combinations of models, lengths, and powertrains were actually built; those which saw production are noted below:

New Flyer Low Floor combinations produced
PowerLow Floor (LF)Low Floor Restyled (LFR)Low Floor Advanced (LFA)
30LF35LF40LF60LF30LFR35LFR40LFR60LFR35LFA40LFA60LFA
C⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺
D⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺
DE⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺
E⏺⏺⏺
F/H⏺⏺
GE⏺⏺⏺⏺
HE⏺
L⏺⏺⏺⏺

History

The original design of the New Flyer Low Floor was based on the B85/B86, a European-market bus produced from 1984 to 1988 by Den Oudsten, a Dutch bus manufacturer which owned New Flyer from 1986 to 2002. A B85 was sent to the United States for testing in 1988, and served as the basis for the development of the Low Floor series.

Production of the Low Floor Series began in 1991 at New Flyer's assembly plant in Grand Forks, North Dakota. [8] [9] [10] The first unit, of the D40LF variant, was delivered to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1992. [11] The first articulated Low Floor (a D60LF), an ex-demonstration unit, was sold to Strathcona County Transit in Alberta in 1996. [12]

New Flyer introduced the Invero series of buses in 1999 with the intent that it would replace the Low Floor line; few were sold, and the Invero was discontinued in 2007. [13]

Two new body styles were introduced in 2005: the Low Floor Restyled (LFR), [14] meant to replace the original Low Floor, and the Low Floor Advanced (LFA), an alternate style specialized for bus rapid transit. [15] Both were produced alongside the original Low Floor style. All three were ultimately replaced by the Xcelsior series, introduced in 2008. The LFA variants were discontinued in 2010, followed by the standard Low Floor style in 2013, and the LFR in 2014. [6]

Market achievements

The New Flyer Low Floor series, specifically the D40LF, was the first low-floor bus sold in the U.S. and Canadian markets. [8] According to New Flyer, later variants of the Low Floor series also represented the first North American buses of certain configurations: [11] [ non-primary source needed ]

Powertrain specifications

Hybrid powertrains

The series hybrid powertrain is supplied by ISE Corporation, branded ThunderVolt. The ISE ThunderVolt system is modular, with several primary subsystems including a diesel, gasoline, or hydrogen-fueled auxiliary power unit (APU), traction motors and gearbox (supplied by Siemens under the ELFA brand), and energy storage (using either batteries or ultracapacitors). [16]

Gasoline

Emissions regulations developed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District prevented local transit agencies in southern California from purchasing new diesel-powered transit buses after 2002. Although most agencies responded by pursuing natural gas-powered buses, Long Beach Transit (LBT) conducted a cost analysis that concluded a gasoline-electric hybrid could meet emissions requirements and also be cost-effective. LBT went on to purchase 47 model year 2004 and 2005 GE40LF buses, [17] the first major purchase of the GE40LF. [16]

Omnitrans, serving the city of San Bernardino, was the lead agency for the ISE ThunderVolt gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain deployed in the GE40LF. [18] Omnitrans procured two of the three testing prototypes; Long Beach Transit placed the first large-volume regular production order. [16]

For the GE40LF delivered to LBT, the gasoline-electric hybrid APU uses a light-duty 6.8 L Ford Triton V-10 engine rated at 305 hp (227 kW) at 4,250 RPM and 405 lb⋅ft (549 N⋅m) at 3,250 RPM coupled to a 110 kW (150 hp) generator (145 kW (194 hp) peak). The electricity generated by the APU is stored in two banks of 144 ultracapacitors each. Stored power is sent to two three-phase asynchronous traction motors, each rated at 85 kW (114 hp) (150 kW (200 hp) peak) and 320 N⋅m (240 lb⋅ft) (450 N⋅m (330 lb⋅ft) peak), which drive the rear axle through a combining gearbox with a peak output torque of 4,860 N⋅m (3,580 lb⋅ft). [17] : 4  The Siemens ELFA traction motors and combining gearbox are the same in all ThunderVolt implementations. [16]

Interior of a DE60LFR operated by King County Metro KCM DE60LFR.jpg
Interior of a DE60LFR operated by King County Metro

Hydrogen-electric hybrid

ISE also built the ThunderVolt TB40-HICE, a prototype 40-foot hydrogen-electric hybrid Low Floor. [19] This prototype, designated HE40LF, was equipped with the ISE ThunderVolt series hybrid powertrain, using a Ford 6.8L V10 internal combustion engine modified to run on hydrogen, which was in turn coupled to a generator to provide energy for the traction motor and storage battery. It was tested by SunLine Transit Agency (who assigned it fleet number 550) and Winnipeg Transit in early 2005 in revenue service. [20] The derelict HE40LF was displayed by Ken Porter Auctions in early 2020 and presumably sold for scrap. [21]

Trolleybus

One prototype Low Floor trolleybus was introduced in 2005, sold to Coast Mountain Bus Company as an E40LF model; since New Flyer were introducing their Low Floor Restyled series that year, production of Low Floor trolleybuses has been designated as E40LFR and E60LFR.

Coast Mountain Bus Company designated their E40LF as TransLink 2101, which was unveiled at Stanley Park in 2005. [22] Although it is designated an E40LF, 2101 bears the updated front and rear fascias of the LFR "Restyled" models. [23]

Fuel cell

Twenty-one examples of the fuel cell "restyled" variant designated H40LFR were operated by SunLine Transit Agency and BC Transit. [24] 20 H40LFR buses were built for BC Transit in 2010 at an estimated total cost of CA$89.5 million, including operating costs through 2014. They were meant to showcase fuel cell vehicles during the 2010 Winter Olympics. [25] After 2014, BC Transit announced plans to sell off their H40LFR buses, stating that operating costs were double that of conventional diesel-powered buses. [26]

Competing models

References

  1. ↑ "D30/C30LF: 30' Low Floor Heavy Duty Transit Buses" (PDF). New Flyer Industries. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2004. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ "C35/40LF Natural Gas 35' & 40' Low Floor Urban Transit Bus" (PDF). New Flyer Industries. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2004. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  3. ↑ "D35/40LF Diesel 35' & 40' Low Floor Urban Transit Bus" (PDF). New Flyer Industries. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2003. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  4. ↑ "D60LF: Diesel 60' Low Floor Articulated Transit Bus" (PDF). New Flyer Industries. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2004. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Hybrid Transit Solutions: DE40LF, DE60LF, GE40LF, HE40LF" (PDF). New Flyer Industries. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2006.
  6. 1 2 3 "New Flyer Industries Low Floor". CPTDB Wiki. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Diesel Vehicle Specifications". New Flyer of America. Archived from the original on March 17, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Brophy, Jim (June 12, 2016). "Bus Stop Classics: New Flyer D40LF – North America's First Low Floor Bus". Curbside Classics. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ Veerkamp, John. "Flyer, New Flyer and AMG transit buses". Coachbuilt. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  10. ↑ "The New Flyer Industries D40 Series Bus". transittoronto.ca. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  11. 1 2 "About New Flyer". New Flyer of America. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  12. ↑ Lo, Kevin. "Strathcona County Transit New Flyer". Kevin's Bus and Rail. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  13. ↑ "New Flyer Industries D40i - CPTDB Wiki (Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board)". cptdb.ca. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Restyle Brochure" (PDF). New Flyer Industries. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  15. ↑ "The New Flyer Family of BRT Vehicles" (PDF). New Flyer Industries. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Information on ThunderVolt". Alternative Energy Magazine. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  17. 1 2 Lammert, M. (June 2008). Long Beach Transit: Two-Year Evaluation of Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Transit Buses (PDF) (Report). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  18. ↑ Duerst, G; Simon, M C (May 2001). A series hybrid-electric drive system optimized for large transit buses. Bus and Paratransit Conference. Calgary, Canada: American Public Transportation System. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Hydrogen Workshop for Fleet Operators" (PDF). The National Hydrogen Association. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  20. ↑ SunLine Tests HHICE Bus in Desert Climate (PDF) (Report). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  21. ↑ Ex SunLine Transit Agency 2004 New Flyer HE40LF #550 on YouTube
  22. ↑ Lo, Kevin. "New flyer E40LFR". Kevin's Bus and Rail. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  23. ↑ Parsons, Martin (May 29, 2016). "CMBC - Translink Vancouver 2006 New Flyer E40LFR #2101". barp.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  24. ↑ "SunLine Leads the Way in Demonstrating Hydrogen-Fueled Technologies" (PDF). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. January 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Hydrogen-powered buses at Olympics under scrutiny". CBC. January 8, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  26. ↑ "BC Transit's $90M hydrogen bus fleet to be sold off, converted to diesel". CBC. December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
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