NFI Group Inc. says it has signed a five-year deal to build up to 621 40-foot battery-electric buses for the Toronto Transit Commission.

The contract includes a firm order for 186 Xcelsior Charge NG heavy-duty transit buses, as well as the option for up to an additional 435 of the same buses.

Financial terms of the agreement were not immediately available.

Winnipeg-based NFI says it added 261 buses to its backlog in the first quarter of 2023 based on the TTC’s initial base firm and option order. 

The deal builds on a 2022 contract with the TTC for 134 Xcelsior 40-foot hybrid-electric heavy-duty transit buses and 68 Xcelsior 60-foot hybrid-electric buses. 

That four-year contract includes options for up to an additional 263 40-foot hybrid-electric buses and 100 60-foot buses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2023.