Nova Bus
Encyclopedia
Nova Bus is a Canadian bus
manufacturer in North America
, owned by Volvo Buses
, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec
, Canada
.
plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market. In 1987 GM divested its entire bus holdings by selling them to Motor Coach Industries
(MCI), itself formed from companies formerly owned by Greyhound Lines
. The plant was used to produce the Classic model for sales in Canada, while GMC's Rapid Transit Series
(RTS) product was moved to join MCI's own designs at Transportation Manufacturing Corporation
in Roswell, New Mexico
. MCI decided to divest its urban rapid transit models in 1993, and Nova Bus was created to take over the Classic and RTS models at the Saint-Eustache and Roswell plants.
The Classic and RTS were later dropped in order to concentrate on the Nova LFS, a low floor city bus, which was introduced in 1995. The last Classic model was produced in 1997. Sales of Nova LFS proved uncompetitive and Nova Bus closed their Roswell and Niskayuna, New York
plants in 2002 to concentrate all efforts on the Canadian market. The Roswell plant was later taken over by a local consortium, Millennium Transit Services, but this effort went bankrupt in 2008. However the Chicago Transit Authority
(CTA), with 483 LFS units in its active bus fleet, remains one of the larger Nova Bus operators.
On February 2, 2008, Nova Bus announced plans for the construction of a new assembly plant in Plattsburgh, New York, signifying the company's return to the U.S. bus market. The plant opened for business on June 15, 2009. Its first US order under American production came from the New York City Transit Authority
for ninety LFS Articulated buses (one of which is pictured to the right). In March 2010, Nova Bus received the first US-built order for its redesigned LFS from Honolulu, Hawaii
's TheBus. The 24 buses will arrive in Fall 2010 with plans to order more in the future.
applications). The rigid LFS entered mass production in 1995, and the LFS Artic and LFX models entered production in 2009. The rigid LFS is available in a single-door suburban configuration. Both the rigid and articulated versions of the LFS/LFX are available with a hybrid drivetrain using an Allison
EP40 parallel hybrid system. These options debuted in 2007 with STO
in Gatineau, Quebec (rigid model) and in 2011 with CT Transit
(articulated model).
The original powertrain layout mounted on the left at the rear was changed to a center-mounted powertrain with ventilation from the roof on all LFS models starting in 2009. Some demonstrators and test buses in 2008 already had this layout.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
manufacturer in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, owned by Volvo Buses
Volvo Buses
Volvo Buses is a subsidiary and a business area of the Swedish vehicle maker Volvo, which became an independent division in 1968. It is based in Göteborg....
, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec
Saint-Eustache, Quebec
Saint-Eustache is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in western Quebec, Canada, west of Montreal on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille-Îles....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
The factory was originally a General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market. In 1987 GM divested its entire bus holdings by selling them to Motor Coach Industries
Motor Coach Industries
Motor Coach Industries International Inc. is an American bus manufacturer based in Schaumburg, Illinois, and is a leading participant in the North American coach bus industry. It has various operating subsidiaries:...
(MCI), itself formed from companies formerly owned by Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
. The plant was used to produce the Classic model for sales in Canada, while GMC's Rapid Transit Series
Rapid Transit Series
The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back...
(RTS) product was moved to join MCI's own designs at Transportation Manufacturing Corporation
Transportation Manufacturing Corporation
Transportation Manufacturing Corporation was a bus manufacturer based in Roswell, New Mexico.The company was formed in 1974 by Greyhound Bus Lines to manufacture Motor Coach Industries vehicles...
in Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
. MCI decided to divest its urban rapid transit models in 1993, and Nova Bus was created to take over the Classic and RTS models at the Saint-Eustache and Roswell plants.
The Classic and RTS were later dropped in order to concentrate on the Nova LFS, a low floor city bus, which was introduced in 1995. The last Classic model was produced in 1997. Sales of Nova LFS proved uncompetitive and Nova Bus closed their Roswell and Niskayuna, New York
Niskayuna (town), New York
Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York. The population was 20,295 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, north and east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county-History:...
plants in 2002 to concentrate all efforts on the Canadian market. The Roswell plant was later taken over by a local consortium, Millennium Transit Services, but this effort went bankrupt in 2008. However the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
(CTA), with 483 LFS units in its active bus fleet, remains one of the larger Nova Bus operators.
On February 2, 2008, Nova Bus announced plans for the construction of a new assembly plant in Plattsburgh, New York, signifying the company's return to the U.S. bus market. The plant opened for business on June 15, 2009. Its first US order under American production came from the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
for ninety LFS Articulated buses (one of which is pictured to the right). In March 2010, Nova Bus received the first US-built order for its redesigned LFS from Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu County, Hawaii
The City and County of Honolulu is a consolidated city–county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The municipality and county includes both the urban district of Honolulu and the rest of the island of Oahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian...
's TheBus. The 24 buses will arrive in Fall 2010 with plans to order more in the future.
Current
The current model from Nova Bus is the Low Floor Series (LFS), offered in three types: the LFS (rigid), LFS Artic (articulated), and the LFX (articulated for BRTBus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
applications). The rigid LFS entered mass production in 1995, and the LFS Artic and LFX models entered production in 2009. The rigid LFS is available in a single-door suburban configuration. Both the rigid and articulated versions of the LFS/LFX are available with a hybrid drivetrain using an Allison
Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission is an American manufacturer of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction,...
EP40 parallel hybrid system. These options debuted in 2007 with STO
Société de transport de l'Outaouais
Société de transport de l'Outaouais is the transit service of the Outaouais region of Quebec. It operates public transit routes in Gatineau, Quebec, including the Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors, plus limited service to suburban communities such as Chelsea and...
in Gatineau, Quebec (rigid model) and in 2011 with CT Transit
Connecticut Transit
Connecticut Transit is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Department of Transportation. CT Transit provides bus service via contract providers for seven different metropolitan areas in the state, mostly concentrated in Hartford and New...
(articulated model).
The original powertrain layout mounted on the left at the rear was changed to a center-mounted powertrain with ventilation from the roof on all LFS models starting in 2009. Some demonstrators and test buses in 2008 already had this layout.
Past
| Model | Length | Width | Photo | Years Produced | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Transit Series Rapid Transit Series The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back... (RTS) |
,, | , |    |
1995–2004 |
|
| TC40102A/N | 12.19 m (40 ft) | 2.59 m (102 in) |  |
1995–1997 |
General Motors Diesel Division General Motors Diesel Division was a unit of General Motors and was a manufacturer of locomotives, transit buses and military products.The locomotive unit was acquired by private investors, the transit bus divisions were purchased by TMC in the U.S. and MCI in Canada, and the GM Defense unit was... (1983–1987), then MCI Motor Coach Industries Motor Coach Industries International Inc. is an American bus manufacturer based in Schaumburg, Illinois, and is a leading participant in the North American coach bus industry. It has various operating subsidiaries:... (1987-1993) |
| TC60102N | 18.29 m (60 ft) | 2.59 m (102 in) |  |
1993 | Based on original 1980s GMC TA60-102N, but with a full Classic body |