Nova Bus facts for kids
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Connecticut Transit Nova Bus LFS Articulated bus
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Formerly
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NovaBus Corporation |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | General Motors Diesel Division Transportation Manufacturing Corporation |
| Founded | 1979 (plant) 1993 (company) |
| Headquarters | Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada |
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Area served
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Canada and United States |
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Key people
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Ralph Acs (President) |
| Products | Public transit buses |
| Owner | Volvo |
Nova Bus (often written as NOVABUS) is a Canadian company that builds buses for public transport. Its main office is in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada. Nova Bus is owned by the Volvo Group, a large company known for making vehicles.
The company's story began in 1979 with a factory from the General Motors Diesel Division. Nova Bus itself was officially started in 1993. This happened when a company called Nova Quintech bought the bus-making part of Dial Corporation, which included Motor Coach Industries and Transportation Manufacturing Corporation. Volvo first bought a part of Nova Bus in 1998 and then took full ownership in 2004.
History of Nova Bus
The Nova Bus factory in Saint-Eustache used to be a General Motors plant. It started in 1979 and built city buses for Canada and the US. This factory made popular buses like the New Look bus (until 1983) and the Classic model (starting in 1982) for Canada. In 1987, GM sold its bus factories to Greyhound Dial Corporation.
By the 1990s, Dial Corporation wanted to sell its transport divisions. The St-Eustache factory was at risk of closing. So, a new company called Nova Bus Corporation was formed in 1993. It was created by people from Nova Quintech and a group called Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs du Québec. They bought the St-Eustache factory from Dial. The government of Quebec also helped by providing loans and agreeing to buy many buses.
In 1994, Nova Bus also bought the rights to make the RTS bus model from another company. The RTS bus continued to be made in a factory in Roswell, New Mexico, to meet US buying rules.
Later, Nova Bus stopped making the Nova Classic and Nova RTS buses. They decided to focus on a new type of bus called the Nova LFS. This was a low floor city bus, which means it's easier for everyone to get on and off. The LFS was announced in 1994, and the first ones were delivered in 1997. The last Classic bus was made in 1997. Because the Nova RTS didn't sell enough, Nova Bus closed its US factories in 2002. They wanted to focus all their efforts on the Canadian market. However, a big customer in the US, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), ordered many LFS buses between 2000 and 2002.
By 1998, Volvo Buses and Prevost Car bought 51% of Nova Bus, and another company called Henlys Group owned 49%. Volvo then bought Henlys' remaining share in 2004, taking full control.
On February 2, 2008, Nova Bus announced plans to build a new factory in Plattsburgh, New York. This meant the company was returning to the US bus market. The new factory opened on June 15, 2009. The first order from a US customer came from the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) for 90 LFS articulated buses. Articulated buses are extra-long buses that bend in the middle. The NYCTA now has almost 500 LFS buses.
In 2012, Walt Disney Company tested a Nova articulated bus at Walt Disney World Resort. In 2013, the Chicago Transit Authority ordered 300 Nova Bus clean-diesel buses.
On June 21, 2023, Nova Bus announced that it would leave the United States market again in 2025. They plan to close the Plattsburgh factory. The company said this was because they were losing money and wanted to focus on their business in Canada.
Nova Bus Products
Current Bus Models
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The LFS (Low Floor Series) is the only type of bus Nova Bus makes right now. It was the first bus designed by the company and started being made in 1996.
Since it was first introduced, the LFS has been updated many times. It started as a diesel-powered, regular 40-foot bus. Over the years, many different versions have been offered.
These versions include buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG), diesel-electric hybrids (which use both diesel and electric power), and fully battery-electric buses. Longer, articulated 62-foot versions have been available since 2009. Nova Bus also makes suburban versions of their 40-foot buses with only one door and seats like a motorcoach.
Past Bus Models
| Model | Length | Width | Photo | Years Produced | Notes |
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| Rapid Transit Series (RTS) |
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1995–2004 |
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| Classic (TC40102A, TC40102N) |
12.19 m | 2.59 m |  |
1993–1997 |
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| Classic TC60102N |
18.29 m | 2.59 m |  |
1993 |
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See also
