Orion International, previously
Orion Bus Industries and
Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and
Bus Industries of America in the United States, is a bus manufacturer based in Mississauga,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and established by the
Government of OntarioThe Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
in 1975. Privatized in 1993, Orion was acquired by Daimler Chrysler (now Daimler AG) in July 2000, and is now part of the group
Daimler Buses North America.
Current product
The current product from Orion International is the
Orion VII third generation semi-
low-floor busA low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...
. Introduced in 2007 as the Next Generation model to replace an earlier generation of the Orion VII produced from 2001–2007, and as the replacement for the Orion V after 2009, this model, produced as a 102 in (2.59 m)-wide bus, is available as a 40.5 ft (12.34 m), 35 ft (10.67 m), or 32.5 ft (9.91 m) bus. Fuel options include biodiesel,
CNGCompressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
, or
dieselA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
. There is also a
diesel-electricDiesel-electric transmission or diesel-electric powertrain is used by a number of vehicle and ship types for providing locomotion.A diesel-electric transmission system includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric traction motors...
hybridA hybrid electric vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle which combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional...
, available with a lithium-ion battery. For non-CNG units, the air-conditioning is on the roof. Starting in late 2010, framed windows became an option on Orion VII Next Generation and third generation buses; an example of such a bus is shown in the table below.
Previous products
Orion has manufactured a number of different models of buses over its 30+ year existence. A list of models is given below; each increasing number is the next generation model.
Discontinued products
| Model |
Length & Width |
Picture |
Produced |
Fuel type |
| Orion I |
31 ft (9.45 m) • 96 in (2.44 m),
35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.44 m),
37 ft (11.28 m) • 96 in (2.44 m),
40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m) |
 |
1977–1993 |
- Diesel
- Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
|
| Orion II |
21.92 ft (6.68 m) • 96 in (2.44 m),
25.92 ft (7.9 m) • 96 in (2.44 m) |
|
1983–2003 |
Orion III (bodies made by Ikarus BusIkarus is a bus manufacturer based in Budapest, Hungary. It was established in 1895 as Uhri Imre Kovács- és Kocsigyártó Üzeme .-History:...
to form the Ikarus 286 model) |
60 ft (18.29 m) • 102 in (2.59 m) |
|
1984–1989 |
Diesel |
| Orion IV |
Tractor: 37.5 ft (11.43 m) • 98.75 in (2.51 m)
Trailer: 35.5 ft (10.82 m) • 98.75 in (2.51 m) |
 |
1985–1989 |
Liquefied petroleum gas |
| Orion V |
32 ft (9.75 m) • 96 in (2.44 m),
35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.44 m),
35 ft (10.67 m) • 102 in (2.59 m),
40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m),
40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m) |
 |
1989–2009 |
Diesel
Compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
|
| Orion VI |
40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m) |
 |
1995–2004 |
Diesel
Compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
Diesel-electricDiesel-electric transmission or diesel-electric powertrain is used by a number of vehicle and ship types for providing locomotion.A diesel-electric transmission system includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric traction motors...
|
Orion VII
(First Generation) |
32.5 ft (9.91 m) • 102 in (2.59 m),
35 ft (10.67 m) • 102 in (2.59 m),
40.5 ft (12.34 m) • 102 in (2.59 m) |
|
2001–2007 |
Orion VII
(Next Generation) |
32.5 ft (9.91 m) • 102 in (2.59 m),
35 ft (10.67 m) • 102 in (2.59 m),
40.5 ft (12.34 m) • 102 in (2.59 m) |
|
2007–2011 |
Assembly plants
- Orion buses are initially assembled in the Mississauga plant and final assembly and testing is done in Oriskany, New York
Oriskany is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 2,744 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Iroquois word for "nettles."The Village of Oriskany is in the Town of Whitestown, southeast of the City of Rome...
.
- Mississauga - Chassis and body
- Oriskany - Seating, engine, HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
, Final assembly and Testing
External links
Hybrid buses