Hong Kong operator KMB celebrates 90th birthday with launch of next-generation Enviro500EV from NFI subsidiary Alexander Dennis


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LARBERT, United Kingdom , April 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: NFI, OTC: NFYEF, TSX: NFI.DB) NFI Group Inc. (“NFI” or the “Company”), a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, subsidiary Alexander Dennis Limited (“Alexander Dennis”) today announced that it has delivered the first next-generation Enviro500EV zero-emission double deck buses to The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (“KMB”) in time for the operator’s celebration of its 90th birthday.

KMB was founded in April 1933 as the Hong Kong Government introduced a system of exclusive services for the city’s bus network that continues to this day, with KMB running on over 400 routes covering Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories as the city’s largest franchised bus operator.

As it celebrates its 90th birthday, the operator is looking firmly to the future with the unveiling of its first Alexander Dennis Enviro500EV electric double decker. Part of the manufacturer’s next generation of zero-emission buses, the three-axle vehicle has been designed in-house by Alexander Dennis and fully built in the company’s production network.

The striking new design language of Alexander Dennis’s next-generation buses is enhanced by the vivid green finish that KMB has adopted for these buses under a ‘Green is Good’ slogan.

“Happy birthday to KMB, who have been Hong Kong’s Heartbeat of the City for 90 years,” commented Paul Davies, President & Managing Director, Alexander Dennis. “We are very proud to be a long-standing business partner of KMB, and this is yet another milestone in our relationship as our all-new Enviro500EV joins over 2,500 existing Alexander Dennis double deckers in the KMB fleet, giving the operator an electric double deck product that is superior to competitor products.”

Alexander Dennis and its predecessors have been supplying buses to Hong Kong since the 1920s and have been at the forefront of bus development in Hong Kong, bringing vehicle air conditioning to the market as well as low floor access for three and two-axle double deck buses, before pioneering hybrid and now electric drivelines.

NFI is a leader in low- and zero-emission mobility, with vehicles operating in 13 countries, moving millions of people every day. NFI offers the widest range of vehicles including clean diesel, compressed natural gas, diesel electric hybrids, and zero-emission battery- and fuel cell-electric buses and coaches.

High resolution images are available for download from the Alexander Dennis website at alexander-dennis.com/media/news.

About NFI

Leveraging 450 years of combined experience, NFI is leading the electrification of mass mobility around the world. With zero-emission buses and coaches, infrastructure, and technology, NFI meets today’s urban demands for scalable smart mobility solutions. Together, NFI is enabling more livable cities through connected, clean, and sustainable transportation.

With 7,700 team members in nine countries, NFI is a leading global bus manufacturer of mass mobility solutions under the brands New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), MCI® (motor coaches), Alexander Dennis Limited (single- and double-deck buses), Plaxton (motor coaches), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and NFI Parts™. NFI currently offers the widest range of sustainable drive systems available, including zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell), natural gas, electric hybrid, and clean diesel. In total, NFI supports its installed base of over 100,000 buses and coaches around the world. NFI’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) under the symbol NFI and its convertible unsecured debentures trade on the TSX under the symbol NFI.DB. News and information is available at www.nfigroup.com, www.newflyer.com, www.mcicoach.com, www.nfi.parts, www.alexander-dennis.com, www.arbocsv.com, and www.carfaircomposites.com.

About Alexander Dennis

Alexander Dennis Limited (“Alexander Dennis”) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of double deck buses and is also the UK’s largest bus and coach manufacturer. Alexander Dennis offers single and double deck vehicles under the brands of Alexander Dennis and Plaxton, and has over 31,000 vehicles in service in the UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Further information is available at www.alexander-dennis.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Debbie McCreath, +44 1324 574479
Stefan Baguette, +44 1324 678047
press@alexander-dennis.com

For inquiries, please contact:
Stephen King
P: 204.792.1300
Stephen.King@nfigroup.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/172d86fa-3f4b-4781-994f-54274687cc71