Orion International 'Orion VII'

The **Orion International Orion VII** was a low floor, North American transit bus. It was introduced in 2007 as the Orion VII Next Generation and was the successor to the first generation Orion VII. The Next Generation name was dropped after an update in 2010. Production of the Orion VII ended in 2012 after Daimler shut down their bus operations in Canada and the United States, with the last buses being 35-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses for Metra of Columbus, Georgia.

## Design

The Orion VII's structure was constructed from either carbon steel or stainless steel and clad with fibreglass and aluminum panels. Like the first generation Orion VII, it had a low floor towards the rear with steps to a high floor section after the rear doors.

The engine was mounted longitudinally at the rear in a T-drive arrangement. The Orion VII was available with conventional diesel, desiel-electric hybrid, or compressed natural gas (CNG) drivetrains. Diesel-powered models use a 125 gallon (473 litre) fuel tank placed under the high floor section. CNG-powered models have the fuel tanks housed in an enclosure on the roof. Hybrid models have their batteries in an enclosure on the roof.

BAE Systems announced they were working with Orion and Hydrogenics to integrate a fuel cell into an Orion VII in November 2006. The fuel cell provided by Hydrogenics worked as an auxiliary power unit with BAE's HybridDrive system and a diesel engine propelling the bus. Accessories such as air conditioning, air compressors, power steering, cooling fans and pumps, and a 28-volt electric power generator were powered by the fuel cell instead of the diesel engine. By August 2010, the hydrogen fuel system and other roof accessories were installed, and the hybrid system and electric accessories were being installed. The bus was completed by late 2010 and entered revenue service with San Francisco MUNI for a yearlong test.

### Next Generation

 File:Toronto Transit Commission 1717-a.jpg
The **Orion VII Next Generation**, was the restyled and updated successor to the original Orion VII. It was launched in 2007 and was designed with features to meet the EPA 2007 emissions standard. The first Next Generation VII was delivered to Saint John Transit.

The Next Generation VII was distinguished by a sloped front end with new headlights and a protruding destination sign area. It used flush-mounted windows instead of the traditional windows used previously. The rear was restyled with a softer appearance and asymmetrical HVAC grill.

Early hybrid buses used the same sealed lead acid batteries and squared enclosure of the previous VII. When lithium ion batteries became the standard, a more rounded enclosure was used.

### EPA10

 File:Toronto Transit Commission 8337-a.jpg   File:Mississauga Transit 1210-a.jpg
In May 2010 at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Bus & Paratransit Conference, Orion introduced an updated model that met the EPA 2010 emissions standard. Orion dropped the "Next Generation" name, however the bus is sometimes distinguished with the EPA10 designation. The HVAC was moved to the roof as most of the space it previously occupied was needed for the exhaust after-treatment system. On hybrid models, the propulsion control unit was moved from the roof to the area above the engine. The engine and generator on hybrids, initially placed transversely at the rear, was changed to an inline configuration. A number of EPA10 prototypes were built in 2009.

The EPA10 VII looks very similar to the Next Generation VII. A noticeable change was to the rear doors. Originally the same height as the windows, the rear door was made level in height with the front door. The driver's window was revised as well using a traditionally glazed design instead of the flush mounted one. The sliding window panes now had a frame around them to add strength. An option for traditionally glazed passenger windows was also made available. Examples of this option taken include buses for MTA Long Island Bus and the Toronto Transit Commission.

The grill above the engine compartment at the rear was changed from the asymmetrical shape to a crescent shape. The 2009 EPA10 prototypes do not have this rear, however.

### BRT

The Orion VII was available with a bus rapid transit (BRT) styling package. This added a full length roof enclosure from the front to the rear. The concept debuted at the APTA Expo in 2008 where a rendering of the BRT-styled bus was displayed. Prototype bus PT1 was later fitted with this package and unveiled at Daimler Buses' Transit Clinic in Mississauga, Ontario. The BRT styling was soon revised later in 2010 with a more sloping destination sign area that was integrated into the front of the bus.

## Models

 07.502
 07.503

## Operators

### Canada

* OC Transpo - Ottawa, ON
* Mississauga Transit - Mississauga, ON
* Niagara Falls Transit - Niagara Falls, ON
* North Bay Transit - North Bay, ON
* Saint John Transit - Saint John, NB
* Sault Ste. Marie Transit - Sault Ste. Marie, ON
* Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - Toronto, ON
* Ville de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC

### United States

* Augusta Transit - Augusta, GA
* Albany Transit System (ATS) - Albany, GA
* Asheville Transit System - Asheville, NC
* Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses (AMA) - San Juan, PR
* Broome County Transit (B.C. Transit) - Binghamton, NY
* Bus Line Service of Turlock (BLAST) - Turlock, CA
* Butte Regional Transit - Butte County, CA
* Campus Area Transportation System (CATS) - University of Vermont
* Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (CENTRO) - Syracuse and Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga & Oneida counties, NY
* Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority - Des Moines, IA
* Charm City Circulator (operated by Veolia Transportation) - Baltimore, MD
* Dutchess County Public Transit - Dutchess County, NY
* Erie Metropolitan Transportation Authority - Erie, PA
* Elk Grove Transit (e-Tran) - Elk Grove, CA
* Fairfax Connector - Fairfax, VA
* Grand Canyon National Park Lodges - Grand Canyon, AZ
* King County Metro (KCM) - Seattle, WA
* Merced County Transit - Merced, CA
* Metra - Columbus, GA
* Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) - New York, NY
* Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) - Houston, TX
* Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) - Nassau County, NY
* New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) - New Orleans, LA
* New York University (operated by Academy Bus Lines) - New York, NY
* Pace - Suburban Chicago, IL
* Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) - Piedmont Triad, NC
* Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - New York, NY
* Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority - Portage County, OH
* Razorback Transit - Fayetteville, AK
* Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. - New York, NY
* Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) - Sacramento, CA
* Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services - Saginaw, MI
* Sonoma County Transit - Sonoma County, CA
* Stanislaus Regional Transit (StaRT) - Stanislaus County, CA
* Suffolk County Transit - Suffolk County, NY
* Thousand Oaks Transit - Thousand Oaks, CA
* Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) - Ithaca & Tompkins County, NY
* Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) - Ulster County, NY
* Union City Transit - Union City, CA
* University of Georgia Campus Transit - Athens, GA
* Visalia Transit - Visalia, CA
* Yolo County Transportation District (Yolobus) - Woodland & Yolo County, CA
* Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) - Washington, DC

## Demonstrator and Engineering Units

Below is a list of known demonstrator and engineering buses

## References

1. ↑ BAE Systems to Participate in Fuel Cell Bus Program (Press release). BAE Systems. 13 November 2006. Retrieved on 07 April 2011.
2. ↑ BAE Systems Projects (page 9). AB 118 Hydrogen Workshop. 29 September 2009. Retrieved on 07 April 2011.
3. ↑ The Updated Orion VII Transit Bus for 2010 Makes its World Debut at the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference (Press release). Daimler Buses North America. 3 May 2010. Retrieved on 3 May.

* Personal notes & sightings

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