RE: Nova BUS Displays Two High-Tech Vehicles at UITP Congress.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 1999--

Nova BUS Nova BUS is proud to exhibit two high technology buses during the International Union of Public Transport's (UITP) 53rd Congress which is held in Toronto from May 23rd to the 28th, 1999. The two vehicles will be on display outside the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

These high-tech buses are an experimental electric fuel cell bus, using liquid methanol to generate electricity, and a Nova LNG bus, powered by liquid natural gas. "These two vehicles, designed and manufactured by Nova BUS and its partners, represent future technology in regards to North American transit bus configurations. The development of these two buses was geared on meeting global environmental concerns and guidelines concerning emissions and noise pollution", stated Mr. Roland Sunden, Senior Vice-President Volvo Bus Corporation heading the North American Business Region.

Experimental Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) Bus

In conceiving this first commercially viable, liquid-fuelled, fuel cell powered bus, Nova BUS and its partners, Georgetown University, Lockheed Martin Control Systems, Booz Allen & Hamilton and International Fuel Cells, were looking to develop a vehicle powered exclusively by electricity. This 40-foot electric bus, mounted on a Nova BUS RTS wide front door model, uses a 100 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell as the primary energy source, traction batteries provide surge power and a means to recover braking energy by regeneration.

This bus seats 40 passengers and meets all transit industry standards. Its performance is similar to that of a standard diesel bus but its emission levels are far lower, a crucial factor in the future of North American transit. The fuel cell produces electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen into water through an electro-chemical process. Oxygen is taken from ambient air while hydrogen is extracted from liquid methanol, using an onboard reformer. This allows continuous operation and rapid conventional refuelling. Emission levels are below clean air standards. The bus is very quiet and has a range in excess of 560 km between refuelling.

Nova BUS' contribution to this project was to study the lay-out of the battery packs in the manufacturing process in order to ensure easy access and maintenance. Nova's R&D team also proposed a series of solutions pertaining to the lay-out of the motor, the transmission and the accessory inverters.

This vehicle is designed to operate on busy transit circuits, for an entire day in extreme weather conditions, in large North American cities. Lockheed Martin Control Systems developed the electric drive train while International Fuel Cells supplies the phosphoric acid fuel cells. Booz Allen & Hamilton is the system integrator and developer of the vehicle system controller.

Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Bus

The Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) bus on display at the UITP congress is a vehicle produced for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). It is a 40-foot, wide front door, Nova RTS powered by a Cummins L10G- series natural gas engine fuelled by liquid natural gas.

As does the PAFC bus, this bus also seats 40 passengers, meets all transit industry standards and out performs a standard diesel bus, as far as emission levels are concerned. The Cummins engine produces 280hp at 2100 rpm and meets more stringent 1998 EPA ULEV (Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle) emission standards.

Fuel storage for the LNG-powered buses is provided by three underfloor tanks with a net capacity of approximately 630 litres, enough for a 640 km fuel range.

"We are very proud of these two high-tech buses since they represent technological breakthroughs for buses efficiently powered otherwise than by a diesel engine. As far as emission levels are concerned, their performance is even better than what the industry is used to seeing. We are confident that we will soon be ready to offer widespread use of low emissions vehicles to the transit industry", concluded Mr. Sunden.

Nova BUS, a division of Prevost Car Inc., which is a subsidiary of Volvo Bus Corporation, is the leading designer and manufacturer of urban transit buses in North America. The company operates four plants located in Saint-Eustache and Saint-Francois-du-Lac in Quebec, Schenectady in New York State and Roswell in New Mexico, as well as a parts distribution center in Montreal.