Orion International

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Orion International

Type	Subsidiary
Founded	1975
Headquarters	350 Hazelhurst Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5J 4T8
Area served	Canada, United States
Key people	Dr. Andreas Strecker, President and CEO Patrick Scully, Chief Commercial Officer
Industry	Bus building
Products	Transit buses
Owner(s)	Daimler AG
Employees	1,400 (US and Canada)
Website	www.orionbus.com

Orion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States is a Mississauga, Ontario, Canada-based bus manufacturer established by the government of Ontario in 1975. Privatized in 1993, Orion was acquired by DaimlerChrysler (now Daimler AG) in July 2000, and is now, along with Freightliner Trucks in the United States and the Sprinter minibus line, part of the Daimler Buses North America group.

Current product

Orion VII Next Generation
(Orion VII second generation)

Manufacturer	Orion International
Parent company	Daimler AG
Production	2007-2009
Assembly	Mississauga, Ontario Oriskany, New York
Predecessor	Orion V, Orion VII (first generation)
Successor	Orion VII (third generation)
Class	Transit bus
Layout	T-Drive for diesel and CNG; Electric for diesel electric hybrid
Engine(s)	Cummins ISL (diesel), Cummins ISB (diesel electric hybrid), Cummins ISL G (CNG)
Transmission(s)	Allison B 400 R, ZF HP592, Voith D864
Wheelbase	32.5 ft: 190 in (4.83 m), 35 ft: 226 in (5.74 m), or 40.5 ft: 286 in (7.26 m)
Length	32.5 ft (9.91 m), 35 ft (10.67 m), or 40.5 ft (12.34 m)
Width	102 in (2.59 m)
Height	119 in (3.02 m) (diesel) 132 in (3.35 m) (diesel electric hybrid) 135 in (3.43 m) (CNG)
Related	Orion VII (first generation)

The current product from Orion International is the Orion VII Next Generation bi-level low-floor bus. Introduced in 2007 to replace an earlier generation of the Orion VII produced from 2001-2007, and as the replacement for the Orion V after 2009,^[1][2], 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, CNG, diesel, or diesel-electric (hybrid). The hybrid model is further available with a lead-acid or a lithium-ion battery.

The model will be slightly updated in 2010 with a third generation model, where the air conditioning unit will be on the roof behind the battery. Also in the future, this model will be available in a bus rapid transit (BRT) design and in a 45 ft (13.72 m) length.

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	Photo	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
Orion II	21.92 ft (6.68 m) • 96 in (2.44 m), 25.92 ft (7.90 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)		1983-2003
Orion III	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
Orion VI	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)		1995-2004	Diesel, Compressed natural gas, Diesel-Electric
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

Assembly plants

• Orion buses are initially assembled in the Mississauga plant and final assembly and testing is done in Oriskany, New York.

• Mississauga - Chassis and body
• Oriskany - Seating, engine, HVAC, Final assembly and Testing

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Orion International

• Orion Bus official homepage
• Orion Buses
• Educated » Hybrid Sounds
• Crown Ikarus 286

Hybrid buses

• Hybrid buses.
• BAE HybriDrivePropulsion OverviewOrion VII Hybrid -Product InformationPDF (0.99 MiB)