Request #: 1 Page #: 20 Section: Design The chassis frame rails shall be a minimum high-strength, low-alloy stainless steel (50,000 PSI yield) all chassis cross-members shall be fasted with Grade-8 equivalent high-strength steel fasteners understructure/chassis with stainless steel used in select places. New Flyer requests approval to provide a hybrid carbon steel/ferritic stainless steel structure along with Axalta Tufcote low VOC coating applied to the inside of structural tubing from the roof line down and Axlata Tufcote UC-1006 sacrificial barrier to be applied to the underbody. Please refer to Exhibits #1- Partial Stainless Steel Structure and Exhibit #2 - Corrosion Coating for additional information.
Request #: 2 Page #: 26 Section: Design and Construction Luggage rack to be made of 1 ¼ stainless steel tubing and stainless connectors. Rack is to be permanently fixed and located behind the driver, facing the aisle and is to have two (2) shelves covered in commercial grade carpet. Dimensions to be approximately thirty two (32) wide, twenty six (26) dep and seventy (70) high. Plexi glass on each side directly behind the driver and on side facing the first passenger row. Two smaller luggage racks, one located on each side may be an option. New Flyer requests approval to provide the luggage rack aft of the streetside wheelchair position to maximize the wheelchair turning envelope.
Request #: 3 Page #: 28 Section: Propulsion Control System (PCS) The drive motor shall be equipped with an electronically controlled management system, compatible with 12-volt power distribution. New Flyer requests approval to provide a propulsion controller compatible with 24V power distribution.
Request #: 4 Page #: 29 Section: Propulsion Control System (PCS) A control shall be available to the operator to allow a 30-second override, which, when depressed, will allow the operator to delay the drive system shutdown but not the activation and alarm system. The parallel architecture of the New Flyer high voltage propulsion batteries allows for shutdown of faulted batteries without the need to shutdown the entire high voltage power supply. As such, an automatic shutdown feature and corresponding override switch is not required in the New Flyer battery bus platform. New Flyer requests approval to waive this requirement.
Request #: 5 Page #: 30 Section: Battery Management System The BMS system must be capable of monitoring the voltage level of cells within each battery pack. The BMS must be able to read and store individual battery or block voltages at a frequency of 1 data point per block every 15 seconds. The system must also monitor battery pack temperatures using no fewer than 2 thermocouples placed in and around each battery pack sampled at the same 4 samples per minute frequency. The New Flyer BMS controllers used in our propulsion battery system are capable of providing all of the data-points listed at a sufficient sample rate but are not capable of long-term self-storage of said data beyond typical fault code storage requirements. That said, separate logging capability could be supported as all of the data can be broadcast on vehicle J1939 network. New Flyer requests approval for this deviation. Approved, provided proposed bus is equipped with necessary separate logging capability as listed above, and any necessary software.
Request #: 6 Page #: 31 Section: Battery Thermal Management The ESS battery packs shall be cooled via a recirculating air system. This air shall be reconditioned and cooled by a small radiator in each pack that uses a vehicle-based water/glycol cooling system. New Flyer requests approval to utilize liquid cooled batteries with a dedicated chiller to maintain the optimal temperature of the ESS battery packs. Liquid cooling is more efficient than air cooling, and utilizing a single chiller reduces the vehicle loads and hence improves range.
Request #: 7 Page #: 33 Section: Drive Train Cooling The drive train shall be cooled by a dedicated heat exchanger sized to maintain operating fluid within the drive train manufacturer s recommended parameters of flow, pressure and temperature. The drive train cooling system must be separate from the traction motor cooling system. The drive train cooling system shall be a standalone system designed to circulate oil through a small radiator next to the drive train. New flyer requests approval to cool both the traction motor and the motor inverters utilizing the same chiller. New Flyers design utilizes the same coolant loop to cool both the Motor and Inverters, the control strategy is focused on maintaining both components within the manufacture recommended operating limits. We have successfully operated buses with this configuration under a variety of operation conditions including at high temperatures in California, with no issues regarding staying within the manufacture recommended temperature range.
Request #: 8 Page #: 32 Section: Propulsion Cooling The radiator, shall be of durable corrosion-resistant construction with integral tanks, unless the EMP Mini-Hybrid System is installed. Please note that a conventional radiator is not included as part of New Flyer's Electric bus design. New Flyer requests deletion of this requirement.
Request #: 9 Page #: 35 Section: Oil and Hydraulic Lines Lines should be stainless steel in all location where stainless steel is compatible with the substance carried. New Flyer requests approval to provide Manuli Equator 2 and GH100 hoses where flexible line are required for connections. The proposed hoses meet or exceed the operating parameter requirements. Manuli hoses are rated for extended temperature range. Please refer to exhibit #5 for more information. Approved, provided that connections have fittings that don t corrode easily. Contractor to provide detailed information on type of fittings used and corrosive qualities.
Request #: 10 Page #: 40 Section: Steering Axle The front axle shall be of an independent suspension design, non-driving with a load rating sufficient for the bus loaded to GVWR and shall be equipped with grease type front wheel bearings and seals. New Flyer requests approval to provide the M.A.N. VOK-07F front axle. The front axle is a cast iron, dropped beam with hollow section; steered, non-driven type axle. The maximum axle load is 15,873 on the front axle. Please refer to attached Exhibit #4 - Front Axle and Suspension for additional information.
Request #: 11 Page #: 45 Section: Air Lines and Fittings Nylon tubing shall be in-stalled in accordance with the following color-coding standards: - Green: Indicates primary brakes and supply - Red: Indicates secondary brakes - Brown: Indicates parking brake - Yellow: Indicates compressor governor signal - Black: Indicates doors, hill hold, and accessories New Flyer requests approval to add a blue tubing to indicate suspension. New Flyer identifies suspension air lines separately to aid in service troubleshooting and preventative maintenance activities.
Request #: 12 Page #: 46 Section: Jump Start A jump-start connector, red for 24V and blue for 12V, shall be provided in the engine compartment, equipped with dust cap and adequately protected from moisture, dirt and debris. New Flyer requests approval to remove this requirement as an engine jump start is not applicable to an electric bus.
Request #: 13 Page #: 47 Section: Master Battery Switch Turning the master switch OFF, with the power plant operating, shall not damage any component of the electrical system. The master switch shall be capable of carrying and interrupting the total circuit load. New flyer would like to clarify that while steps are taken to minimize the impact of shutting off the vehicle using the master battery switch, it is impossible to guarantee that there would be no impact to vehicle if this were to be done on a regular basis. Proper procedure in normal operation is to apply an orderly shutdown through the standard ignition switches (i.e. the master run switch on the side console panel or equivalent). The master battery disconnect switch is meant for emergency and maintenance applications and should only be used in such instances.
Request #: 14 Page #: 52 Section: Data Communications General All faults shall be recorded, time stamped, odometer stamped and assigned a priority level based on the severity of the fault. A diagnostic tool shall also serve as a troubleshooting guide to aid in quick resolution of individual faults. New Flyer would like to clarify that not all of our key vehicle subsystems are capable of providing time stamps on fault code data, and none are currently capable of providing an odometer stamp. That said, separate logging capability could be supported as all of the data can be broadcast on vehicle J1939 network and remotely transmitted through the New Flyer connect system. New Flyer requests approval. Approved, provided proposed bus is equipped with necessary separate logging capability as listed above, and any necessary software.
Request #: 15 Page #: 54 Section: General Switches and controls shall be divided into basic groups and assigned to specific areas, in conformance with SAE Recommended Practice J680, Revised 1988, Location and Opera-tion of Instruments and Controls in Motor Truck Cabs, and be essentially within the hand reach envelope described in SAE Recommended Practice J287, Driver Hand Control Reach. New Flyer wishes to clarify that while we will definitely do everything possible to comply to the general intent and spirit of SAE J680, this standard was specifically written for transportation trucks that incorporate a left street-side driver door and a right curb-side control console, so there are limitations in our ability to fully comply with all recommended zone locations and orientations. NF response is acceptable.
Request #: 16 Page #: 58 Alarms Section: Transit Bus Instruments and Engine Shutdown Override Switch. The parallel architecture of the New Flyer high voltage propulsion batteries allows for shutdown of faulted batteries without the need to shutdown the entire high voltage power supply. As such, an automatic shutdown feature and corresponding override switch is not required in the New Flyer battery bus platform. New Flyer requests approval to waive this requirement. Waiver approved.
Request #: 17 Page #: 64 Section: Seat Structure and Materials Seats shall be Freedman Mid-Hi. New Flyer requests approval to use American Seating model 6466 seats per VTA's latest bus build with New Flyer.
Request #: 18 Page #: 67 Requirements Section: Capacity and Performance The air conditioning system shall meet these performance requirements using R134a. New Flyer requests approval to provide a Thermo King Intelligaire 3 air conditioning and heating system utilizing R-407C refrigerant. R-407C systems are more compact, have reduced power consumption and overall better efficiency with respect to batteries and range as compared to systems utilizing R-134.
Request #: 19 Page #: 67 Section: Mirrors Interior mirror shall be 6 x 30 with protected edges. There shall be a 10 convex mirror mounted inside to the upper right side of the rear en-trance door to enable the driver to see inside the step well from the driver seat through the above interior mirror. New Flyer requests approval to provide an 8"X15" driver's rear view mirror, a 6" spot mirror at the upper curbside corner of the windshield and a 12" convex mirror at the exit door. The proposed design of the mirrors are a standard feature in our Xcelsior fleet and has been proven in service.
Request #: 20 Page #: 68 Section: Electric Cabin Heater Bus will be equipped with an electric cabin heater capable of heating the interior cabin to 60 degrees Fahrenheit when outside temperatures are -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Operating the electric heater should not have a negative impact on specified range. Cabin temperature should be controllable by the driver. New Flyer would like to clarify that electric cabin heater will inherently have a negative impact on the range due to energy consumption. New Flyer requests clarification on the intent of this specification language. Please note the range requirements and calculations in section TS 23.4 are requested based on "Overall Average Consumption fuel efficiency recorded at Altoona". All test results at Altoona do not account for electric cabin heater energy losses. Ignore the language operating the electric heater should not have a negative impact on specified range.
Request #: 21 Page #: 64 Section: WINDOWS General Quarter top tilt in windows shall be provided throughout the entire bus except at the side destination sign mounting location. New Flyer requests approval to provide tip-in, bottom fixed windows manufactured by Arow Global.
Request #: 22 Page #: 64 Section: WINDOWS The main side windows shall be a minimum of 48 wide to offer maximum exterior view. New Flyer requests approval to provide windows with a 45.34" width aft of the entrance door on the curbside and for the first window aft of the driver's window on the streetside. This is inherent to the geometry of the Xcelsior model bus.
Request #: 23 Page #: 69 Section: Materials Window glazing shall be 5mm tempered safety glass. Windows shall meet the require-ments of ANSI Z26.1-1996 Test Grouping 2 and the Recommended Practices defined in SAE J673. Windows shall be tinted 50% gray. Window glazing shall have 50% light transmittance as measured by ASTM D-1003 and 45% solar transmittance as measured by ASTM E-424. New Flyer requests approval to provide 6mm Laminated safety glass gray tint with 44% light transmittance as per VTA's most recent bus build with New Flyer.
Request #: 24 Page #: 70 Section: Capacity and Performance System capacity testing, including pull-down/warm-up, stabilization and profile, shall be conducted in accordance to the APTA s Recommended Instrumentation and Performance Testing for Transit Bus Air Conditioning System. The recommended locations of temperature probes are only guidelines and may require slight modifications to address actual bus design. Care must be taken to avoid placement of sensing devices in the immediate path of an air duct outlet. In general, the locations are intended to accurately represent the interior passenger area. New Flyer requests approval to provide test result showing compliance to the pull-down/warm-up requirements in lieu of performing the tests on VTA bus.
Request #: 25 Page #: 76 Section: Bumpers Manufacturer s standard bumper on front, painted black. New Flyer requests approval to provide bumpers that are color-impregnated black, not painted. Approved, spec calls for help bumpers on front and back. Page 75
Request #: 26 Page #: 77 Section: Bike Rack One option bid should be for bicycle rack installed to the front bumper that accommodates three (3) bikes. Preferred brand is SPORTWORKS APEX 3, with a pair of heavy duty springs to help raise and lower rack, with instrument panel indicator light to warn vehicle operators that the bike rack is in the lowered position. New Flyer requests approval to provide the bike rack, if selected, shipped loose due to Massachusetts law. Approved, cost to be included in proposed bus.
Request #: 27 Page #: 93 Section: Actuators Door actuators shall be Ventura Systems, or approved equal. Doors shall open or close completely in not more than 3.5 seconds from the time of control actuation and shall be subject to the closing force requirements. New Flyer requests approval to provide electric door actuators manufacturer by Vapor bus.
Request #: 28 Page #: 94 Section: Door Controller Doors shall be operated by push-button controls, conveniently located and operable within the driver s reach. The push buttons shall be labeled. There shall be a separate set of push button controls for the front and rear door(s), as needed. New Flyer requests approval to provide a 5 position Vapor door controller. Please see approval drawing Exhibit #3 - Door Controller for the control functions that we provide for the doors.
Request #: 29 Page #: 95 Section: Two-Way Power Flow Buses should be equipped for two-way power flow. Vehicles should be capable of exporting power to an AC load, vehicle to grid, or vehicle to vehicle. Power flow should be 3-phase, AC 480 volt and with less than 5% harmonic distortion. Equipment should be UL certified. Contractor should provide example and contact information for transit property that has exported power from vehicle. New Flyer seeks approval to waive this requirement. Our current charging inverter configuration does have the functional capability of passing controlled power to the grid from the vehicle. At present time there is still much uncertainty surrounding standardization and mass adoption of V2G. The current standards for utility and off board electrical equipment can vary significantly in different regions of the country, and right now there is a lot of debate about how the vehicle side should be certified. For now, there is no clear agreement or resolution as of yet, so final development work is still far from full completion. Denied.
Request #: 30 Page #: 95 Section: Wheelchair Accommodations Stanchion and grab bars installed shall be of stainless steel, a minimum of 1-1/4 in diame-ter. A modesty panel and plexi-glass panel will be installed behind the driver s seat. Hand-rails will be installed on both sides of the passenger entrance. New Flyer requests approval to provide a communications box, Secure Diagnostic Station (SDS) box, located on the wheelhouse where the forward wall of the box acts as the upper portion of the barrier and the wheelhouse as the lower portion separating the operator from the street-side front passenger seat there by precluding the need for a separate barrier. The SDS box is made of fiberglass and painted black to minimize the glare and reflections that may impact the driver s sightline(s). Please refer to the Exhibit #6 for more information.
Request #: 31 Page #: 96 Section: Destination Signs The front should be sized 69 by 11 by 4 ; side should be 47 by 8 by 4 and rear should be 14 by 13. Interior panel behind the destina-tion sign should be attached using latches (not screws). New Flyer requests approval to provide a front destination sign from Luminator measuring 65" x 10" x 1.5" Approved, as long as all signs are LED, full color.
Request #: 32 Page #: 97 Section: Charging Infrastructure The battery charger shall be configured to automatically restart after unintended interruption of a charging episode due to interruption or temporary degradation of electrical service. The battery chargers shall be configured to interface with on-board battery management and interlock systems. For safety considerations, New Flyer strongly recommends against implementing an automatic restart of the charger after interruption to minimize the risk of harm to maintenance personnel and electrical equipment. This would also be in conflict with many of the already existing charging standards and protocols that are already available within the industry. New Flyer requests the deletion of this requirement. Clarification. The VTA holds safety as primary importance and default to the vehicle manufacturers regarding safety for workers and vehicle systems. That said, several of the Authorities facilities are often unoccupied during nighttime charging hours. Our desire for EVSE to reconnect during voltage sags or loss in electrical power is so that buses are charged and ready for deployment in the morning. If the manufacturer does not recommend automatically re-connecting with the charging system, please specify the procedures or recommendations for ensuring that buses are fully charged and ready for scheduled service, regardless of power interruptions (either of short duration or longer), voltage sag, or other common electrical system disturbance.
Request #: 33 Page #: 97 Section: Charging Infrastructure Conductive cabling connecting depot and convenience chargers to the bus shall be of fifteen-foot (max) length and shall connect to a receptacle at the front of the bus, curb side. The connectors shall be industry standard and of simple design and heavy-duty construction and shall not be energized except when mated with the bus mounted receptacle. A single bus mounted receptacle shall serve both the depot charging station. The bus mounted receptacle shall be of simple and ergonomic design, of not more than 25 pounds (plug and cord), not more than two plugs, and heavy-duty construction, and shall not be ener-gized except when mated with the charger connectors. New Flyer requests approval to provide our base design offering which involves locating the charge receptacle at the rear curbside of vehicle. Denied, VTA is requiring two charging receptacles. One curb side front and one curb side rear. We will be issuing an addendum to reflect this change.
Request #: 34 Page #: 105 Section: Training The Contractor shall provide an optional cost for a comprehensive hands-on training pro-gram for the operations and maintenance staff. The program shall be included in the pro-curement at the discretion of the Authorities. The training offered by the Contractor and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) shall be for major components provided on the buses. The Training Program schedule will be discussed with Contractor after contract award to establish a training schedule that is properly coordinated with the delivery and acceptance of the buses. New Flyer requests that the training be priced separately from the bus price. This will ensure proper costing regardless of the number of buses in the base order, and each subsequent delivery. New Flyer also requests approval to provide a training proposal showing pricing for individual courses along with the length of each training course. This will allow VTA the opportunity to allocate the total number of training hours to the specific courses they want along with the required quantities based on their training requirements.