Nova Bus
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Nova Bus is a bus manufacturing company based in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada. The company is now owned by Prevost, which is a division of Volvo Buses.
Nova Bus was created by a reorganization of the transit bus division of MCI in 1993, and continued the production of the Classic model (which was started by General Motors Diesel Division Buses in late 1982) until MCI bought the transit division in 1987. The RTS model, originating from General Motors, was also acquired by NovaBus.
They currently produce a single product, the Nova LFS, a low-floor urban transit bus, which was introduced in 1995. The last Classic model was produced in 1997. After closing their American assembly plants in Roswell, New Mexico, and Niskayuna, New York, in 2002, Nova Bus basically withdrew from the American bus market, instead primarily focusing on Canadian transit.
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[edit] Products
- Rapid Transit Series (RTS) - developed by General Motors Diesel Division Buses (1977-2003), although no longer produced by NovaBus, a small company Millennium Transit now builds them) RT80-2W
- Classic - high floor buses (developed as a redesign of the original GMC New Look) originally produced by GM (1983 - 1987), then MCI (1987-1993), and by NovaBus from 1993 - 1997. Models: TC40-102N (40", 102' wide) and TC60-102N (60", 102' wide, articulated)
- LFS - low floor and wheelchair accessible (1995-present)
NovaBus now produces a series of vehicles developed from the Nova LFS.
- 40 foot Low floor transit bus with a stainless steel structure and diesel engine.
- 40 foot Suburban bus (single and two door variations)
- 40 foot shuttle bus
- 60 foot articulated bus, currently in testing in Quebec City for RTC, to reach full production in 2007 for RTC and STM in Montreal.
In 2008, the option of a hybrid diesel-electric engine will be offered to new customers. These enhancements come out of a want to become more competitive outside of eastern Canada (where few NovaBus products have been sold) and to provide more options for Quebec-based agencies (who, by provincial law, are given only the option of NovaBus for new buses due to their Quebec plant location).
[edit] Rivals
- General Motors Diesel Division Buses
- Gillig Corporation
- Irizar
- MAN AG
- Mercedes-Benz buses / Setra
- Neoplan USA (defunct)
- New Flyer Industries - formerly Flyer Industries and Western Flyer Industries
- North American Bus Industries - formerly Ikarus
- Orion Bus Industries - formerly Ontario Bus Industries
- Van Hool
[edit] Clients
- Barrie Transit
- Belleville Transit
- Brampton Transit
- Brandon Transit
- Capital District Transportation Authority (Albany, NY)
- Campus Area Busing Service (The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio)
- Purchased two LFS demos in the late 90's, due to poor performance they are scheduled to be replaced with Gillig Phantom models by 2008
- Chicago Transit Authority
- City of Fredericton Transit Division
- Cleveland Ohio RTA
- Codiac Transit (Moncton, New Brunswick)
- CIT de la Vallée du Richelieu
- CIT du Sud-Ouest
- CIT Le Richelain
- CIT Laurentides (SURF)
- Disney Transport
- Durham Region Transit
- Edmonton Transit System
- Golden Gate Transit (Marin County, California)
- Grand River Transit
- Greater Sudbury Transit
- Guelph Transit
- Hamilton Street Railway
- Kenosha Transit
- Kelowna Regional Transit
- Leduc Bus Lines (Ottawa)
- Memphis Area Transit Authority
- Metrobus (St.John's, Newfoundland)
- Metro Transit (Halifax)
- MRC de l'Assomption
- MTA Bridges and Tunnels
- New Jersey Transit
- Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (Buffalo, NY)
- OC Transpo
- Oshawa Transit (since merged into Durham Region Transit)
- Peterborough Transit
- Regina Transit
- Réseau de transport de la Capitale
- Réseau de transport de Longueuil
- Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District
- Strathcona County Transit (Sherwood Park, Alberta)
- Société de transport de Laval (STL)
- Société de transport de l'Outaouais
- Société de transport de Montréal (STM)
- Société de transport de Sherbrooke
- Timmins Transit
- Thunder Bay Transit
- Toronto Transit Commission
- Victoria Regional Transit System
- West Vancouver Blue Bus
- Whitby Transit (since merged into Durham Region Transit)
- Windsor Transit
- Woodstock Transit