Oriskany, USA – Daimler Buses North America (DBNA) has received orders for nearly 100 Orion VII clean-diesel and diesel-hybrid buses. Ninety-two of these buses were ordered by three transit agencies in New York State. In addition, the University of Georgia is purchasing four more Orion VII buses for its Campus Transit System, so that it will have a total of eight Orion VII clean-diesel buses in operation. The buses are manufactured in Oriskany, New York, and are set to be delivered in late summer and fall of 2010.

“The orders for clean-diesel and hybrid buses are extremely gratifying for Daimler Buses North America and show the confidence the transit market has in the Orion brand,” said Patrick Scully, Chief Commercial Officer for DBNA. “They also help safeguard jobs at our production facility in Oriskany, with more than 600 employees.”

Suffolk County Transit placed an order for 81 Orion VII clean-diesel transit buses. Suffolk County Transit currently operates the Orion V in its existing fleet, which it is now augmenting with Orion VII transit buses. Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) has now ordered its fifth Orion VII diesel-electric hybrid bus. UCAT already had two of the buses in operation, and has now placed an order for three additional Orion VII hybrid buses as a result of its good experience with the vehicle. The Dutchess County Bus System has ordered four Orion VII clean-diesel transit buses and two Orion VII hybrid transit buses.

In addition to the transit agencies in New York State, the University of Georgia (UGA) is also putting its faith in Orion VII transit buses. The university has been operating four of these buses since 2008, and has now ordered four more. UGA operates the largest on-campus transit system in the U.S., transporting about 9.5 million students last year.

Daimler Buses North America, headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., is part of Daimler Buses and combines three bus brands under one corporate structure: Orion transit buses, Setra motorcoaches, and the Sprinter shuttle bus. Daimler Buses North America sold its 3,000th Orion VII diesel-electric hybrid bus last September. As a result, Daimler Buses has sold more hybrid buses than any other manufacturer in the world.