the international report
Alexander Dennis and New Flyer to launch MiDi bus in May Prototype to be unveiled at APTA Bus and Paratransit conference in Indianapolis, IN By Doug Jack Alexander Dennis (AD) is one of the fastest growing bus builders in the western world. Since Chief Executive Officer Colin Robertson took the helm in 2007, earnings have risen from $250 million in his first year to more than $700 million last year. He has led the company toward new product development, closer relationships with customers and dynamic expansion of its export activities. Alexander Dennis and New Flyer have decided to brand their latest joint venture as the MiDi bus. I was impressed with the amount of work that has already gone into the project. The two companies are set to launch the MiDi bus in May at the APTA Bus and Paratransit conference in Indianapolis, IN, as well as several other transit and shuttle conferences in North America throughout 2013. I began by asking Robertson how it all came about.
“Toward the end of 2010 we had a management meeting,” he says. “We were already supplying double deck buses to North America and wanted to sell our popular midibuses there as well. We could either do it alone in fairly small numbers or talk to the best potential partner to achieve higher volumes.” Early in 2011, Robertson and AD Commercial Director Robert Davey flew to Winnipeg, MB, Canada, to meet with New Flyer President and CEO Paul Soubry and Paul Smith, EVP sales and marketing. “We gave them a presentation about our Enviro200 midibus range and found that they had made their own strategic review to consider the development of a lighter bus range to complement their heavy-duty transit buses,” says Robertson. “We got on well and soon decided that if New Flyer took on the Enviro200 and built it in North America we would achieve much higher potential
volumes and easily meet Buy-America rules. For New Flyer the attraction of taking on a proven design was the opportunity to significantly reduce development costs and the time to the market.” New Flyer will offer the Enviro200 at two overall lengths — 30 and 35 feet. The Cummins ISBe 6.7 liter engine meets EPA13 standards and couples to the automatic Allison gearbox. DANA supplies the front and rear axles. Thermo King air conditioning is standard. All of these units are obtainable in the United States. The vehicle has a double-width entrance ahead of the front axle with a wheelchair ramp. Two wheelchair locations immediately behind the front wheelboxes feature tip-up seats when the space is not required. The floor in the front half of the vehicle is 12 inches above the ground and can kneel to curb level. Alexander Dennis will deliver the
The Enviro200 is popular on rural routes as seen here in central Wales .
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April 2013
BUSRide