Two major metropolitan transit operators in Southern California could add more than 1,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses from Toronto-based New Flyer Industries during 2013. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority is slated to add the bulk of the new CNG-powered buses. It has issued a letter of intent to award a contract worth a reported $302.9 million for 550 New Flyer buses, with an option to increase that to 900. Meanwhile, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System is purchasing up to 165 new CNG buses from New Flyer, the 60-foot Xcelsior articulated heavy duty models. The firm order is for 47 of the buses with options for up to 118 more, according to fleet industry reports.

BAF Technologies, the natural gas transportation fueling system maker that is part of California-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp., told NGI it now has the largest lineup of Ford-platform dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles available among 2013 models. It has both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- and California Air Resources Board (CARB)-certified systems. Noting BAF has converted more than 20,000 vehicles during the past 20 years, President John Bacon said these include both Ford and General Motors products, and most of this year’s vehicles are carrying over basically the same CNG technology from 2012. With the model year 2014, BAF will introduce new natural gas-powered Ford products. These include Ford E-250/350 vans, F-250/350 pickups, F450/550/650 trucks, F-53/59 trucks, Transit Connect’s new 2.5-liter engine and E-450 shuttle. In a fleet industry publication, BAF also disclosed that as part of its ongoing research/development efforts, it is developing a CNG-powered Lincoln “black car” for the limousine market.

©Copyright 2013Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.