New Flyer Xcelsior

The New Flyer Xcelsior series is a line of low-floor transit buses manufactured by New Flyer Industries for the North American market since 2008. It is offered in three nominal lengths, and with a range of different powertrains, including diesel and compressed natural gas engines, hybrid, fuel cell, trolleybus, and battery electric configurations.

Variants

Similar to its predecessor, the New Flyer Low Floor series, the Xcelsior series includes multiple variants, each named according to its length and powertrain, beginning with the prefix "X." For example, an XD40 is a diesel-powered, 40-foot rigid bus; while an XE60 is a battery-electric, 60-foot articulated bus.

Model	Power	Nominal length	Generation
X	D = conventional diesel DE = diesel-electric hybrid E = battery-electric HE = hydrogen fuel cell N = compressed natural gas T = electric trolleybus	35 = rigid 40 = rigid 60 = articulated	none = original design = Next Generation

All powertrains listed above are currently available on 40- and 60-foot buses; the 35-foot body has never been produced with hydrogen or trolleybus powertrains. The diesel-electric hybrid 60-foot bus will be discontinued in 2026, and the 35-foot hybrid model is slated for discontinuation in 2027.

History

Development of the Xcelsior began as a set of improvements to its predecessor, the New Flyer Low Floor, eventually evolving into designing an entirely new bus. The Xcelsior made its public debut in October 2008 at the triennial APTA Expo. Brampton Transit, in the Greater Toronto Area, was the launch customer for the Xcelsior, receiving the first order in 2011.
The Xcelsior is 10% lighter than the Low Floor, boosting fuel economy by about 7%. Its redesigned front fascia, bumpers, and roof shrouds led to better aerodynamics and driver visibility. The bus was also designed to allow a much larger cooling system and the addition of a SCR system, both required to meet new U.S. EPA emissions regulations instituted in 2010. The air conditioning system was moved from the rear of the bus to the roof, a change that New Flyer credited with reducing weight and enabling quieter operation.
The interior of the Xcelsior also differs significantly from the Low Floor series. By moving the fuel tank and modifying the rear suspension, seating capacity on the 40-foot model was increased from 39 to 42, with more forward-facing seats. To improve accessibility, the floor height was lowered to with the ability to kneel down to, and the front entry door was widened, accommodating a wider wheelchair ramp. To improve interior aesthetics, visible fasteners were eliminated and molded plastic surfaces were introduced. The utilitarian instrument panel was replaced with an automotive-style electronic dashboard.
In November 2018, New Flyer delivered the 10,000th Xcelsior produced, an XDE60 for King County Metro.
At launch, the Xcelsior was only available in a length with power from the Cummins ISL 280 and a Allison B400 conventional transmission or the Allison EP-40 hybrid drive.

Electric variants

Development of a battery-electric variant of the Xcelsior line was announced in 2011, and a prototype was shown in 2012. Regular production began in 2014, with the first units produced for Winnipeg Transit and the Chicago Transit Authority. The first-generation electric Xcelsior was offered only as a 40-foot model, and used a permanent magnet traction motor built by Siemens. In October 2017, the second-generation battery-electric Xcelsior, the Xcelsior CHARGE, was introduced, adding the 35-foot XE35 and articulated XE60 models.
A trolleybus version of the Xcelsior debuted in 2015 on the Seattle trolleybus system. King County Metro ordered both the rigid XT40 and articulated XT60 in 2013, and received the first deliveries in 2014. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency later purchased both for the San Francisco trolleybus system, where they debuted in 2018. As of 2025, no other systems operate the trolleybus variant.

Autonomous variant

New Flyer and Maryland-based Robotic Research announced a partnership in May 2019 to develop autonomous buses. The project was funded by a million grant from the Federal Transit Administration's Integrated Mobility Innovation Program.
The prototype Xcelsior AV was unveiled in January 2021. New Flyer described the Xcelsior AV as the "first heavy-duty autonomous transit bus" in North America, and claimed that the prototype met the SAE J3016 Level 4 of autonomy. The Xcelsior AV is battery-electric, based on the XE40 chassis, and uses Robotic Research's AutoDrive suite of sensors and AutoDrive ByWire mechanical actuators.
The first three Xcelsior AV buses were scheduled to be tested in 2021 on the CTfastrak bus rapid transit line in Connecticut, in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The deployment on a BRT line, with a dedicated right-of-way, was intended to test the vehicles' ability to perform precision docking at station platforms and platooning multiple vehicles.

Variant discontinuations

In August 2024, New Flyer announced the discontinuation of the XDE60 variant in model year 2026, and the XDE35 and XN35 models in model year 2027, citing reduced demand and the unavailability of powertrains for those models which would meet tightening U.S. EPA standards. New Flyer rescinded the announced discontinuation of the XDE35 in May 2025.

Specifications

Xcelsior CHARGE

The Xcelsior CHARGE variant uses the Siemens ELFA2 electric drive system with different options for battery capacity, depending on the charging speed and range required. The traction motor used has an output of either and. Batteries are supplied by XALT Energy or A123 Systems. On-route rapid charging is provided through an overhead pantograph designed to be interoperable with the SAE J3105 standard supplying 300–450 kW. Shop or depot charging may be performed using SAE J3068 and J1772 connectors supplying up to 150 kW.
At Altoona, the as-tested empty weight of an XE40 was measured at with a capacity of 76 for a total GVW of. It was equipped with 4 XALT Xsyst 7 batteries and a SPHEROS fuel-fired heater. When accelerating from a constant speed, the bus emitted an average maximum noise level of 66.1 dB, considerably lower than the average maximum noise level of 70.4 dB measured from a conventionally-powered XD40.

XE60

The articulated XE60 adds a second driven axle, using the ZF AxTrax AVE uses two electric motors, each with a maximum continuous/peak output of and maximum continuous/peak torque of. Each motor is an asynchronous three-phase AC motor operating on 650 VDC with an input current of 250 to 340 amps, using a single-speed reduction gear ratio of 22.66:1. The complete axle assembly weighs
The as-tested empty weight of an XE60 was with a capacity of 120 for a total GVW of. Compared to the diesel-powered equivalent XD60, the XE60 is heavier and holds slightly fewer people. Depending on the driving route/style, the XE60 tested at Altoona had a predicted range of.

Xcelsior CHARGE NG

Xcelsior CHARGE NG is New Flyer's next generation battery electric, zero-emission bus. It is lighter, simpler and has longer range with better energy recovery. It has a capacity of 32-61 passengers with 2 wheelchair locations. It is available in 35-, 40-, and 60-foot configurations. It has a Siemens ELFA3 traction motor, Lithium Manganese Cobalt batteries, and electric roof-mounted HVAC.

Xcelsior CHARGE H2

The CHARGE model can be equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell, which acts as an on-board charger to extend range. Earlier New Flyer fuel cell buses were based on the preceding Low Floor chassis, designated H40LFR, and integrated by an outside vendor. In 2016, New Flyer received an order for 25 XHE40 buses under the California Air Resources Board Air Quality Improvement Program. The XHE40 uses a MAN SE model 1350 rear axle with a traction motor from Siemens; like the XE60, the XHE60 also uses a MAN 1350 rear axle as a pusher, but adds a ZF AxTrax AVE middle axle as a puller for traction-challenged conditions.
An XHE60 tested at Altoona weighed empty; with a total capacity of 132, the estimated GVW was. The fuel cell was a Ballard HD85 with an 85 kW output.
Development of the electric fuel cell buses is centered in California, with AC Transit serving as the lead agency for one XHE60, and SunLine Transit Agency, AC Transit, and Orange County Transportation Authority testing several variants of XHE40.

Brochures

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Xcelsior
Category:Vehicles introduced in 2008
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