In a Canadian trial to electrify buses, the CUTRIC trial has deployed hundreds of BEBs across seven cities. The program enlisted the support of the Infrastructure Bank of Canada to support this innovative deployment. The participating transit agencies have committed to collect real-time data on the BEBs and share these data sets to inform evidence-based procurements. Currently, the CUTRIC trial is collecting data from operational vehicles and chargers for empirical analysis.
Letenda’s Electrip
Letenda, a zero-emission bus manufacturer in Quebec, Canada, has developed a prototype electric bus, dubbed the Electrip. It was designed specifically for the harsh winter climate of Canada and incorporates all of the benefits of electric propulsion. The company has received funding from the National Research Council of Canada and Quebec’s Ministry of Economy and Innovation. It has also partnered with major companies such as Rio Tinto, Constructions Proco, Simplex Tool Rental, and Promotion Saguenay, as well as Quebec’s ACET Banque Nationale. The company has doubled its staff size, and is working toward larger scale production in Canada.
The Electrip is available in a variety of configurations and seats up to 45 passengers. The vehicle can transport twenty-four seated passengers and six wheelchairs. It is also equipped with thermal insulation and radiant floor heating for the comfort of seated passengers. TheĀ electric buses in Canada battery system can generate two hundred and twenty-two kWh of electricity and is capable of charging the bus within two hours.
Nova Bus LFSe+
Nova Bus is a leading North American transit bus manufacturer. It recently won a contract to supply 24 LFSe+ electric buses to four transit authorities in Canada. The tender was coordinated by the Association du transport urbain du Quebec and the Reseau de transport de Longueuil. The buses will eliminate greenhouse gases and pollutants from transit systems, thereby improving their service quality and reducing costs.
This contract is one of the largest for a single company, as it involves a fleet of up to 60 LFSe+ electric buses. The buses will run in Halifax Transit’s livery, and are expected to begin operations as early as 2022. Halifax Regional Council has also authorized Nova Bus to deliver another 30 electric buses to the agency by 2023-2024.
BYD
The BYD electric bus has now been approved for sale in Canada, after receiving the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Certification and placement on the Vehicle Manufacturers Registry with Transport Canada. These formal requirements are important, but the real question is whether operators will choose to buy these vehicles. The company has already successfully demonstrated its electric bus technology in various countries around the world, including China and the Netherlands.
The company’s new facility in Newmarket, Ontario, will focus on the assembly of electric buses for the Toronto Transit Commission, the country’s largest transit operator. The facility is one of the first new electric bus plants in the province in several years, and it is anticipated that the new factory will create 30 jobs in the city.
OC Transpo’s plan to buy 450 e-buses by 2036
OC Transpo’s plan to purchase 450 electric buses by 2036 is a step toward a carbon-free future. The transit authority currently owns 939 diesel buses. Buying these buses will reduce their emissions by nearly 50%. The plan is expected to cost $986 million over the first five years. Purchasing a single zero-emission bus costs about $1.3 million.
The proposed $400 million loan is the first step toward OC Transpo’s goal of converting its entire fleet to electric vehicles. The funding for the project is still being worked out with the federal government. However, if the proposal is approved, OC Transpo will have the first 450 battery-electric buses in service by 2027.
Edmonton’s transition to zero-emission buses
As part of its commitment to a low-carbon future, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) has lent $14.4 million to Edmonton to help fund the transition to zero-emission buses. These buses are an important step towards creating a more sustainable transportation system that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving the quality of public transit service.
Edmonton’s transition to zero-emission public buses is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 70 percent over the next 20 years. This is equivalent to taking 27 cars off the road. This move is part of the city’s long-term energy transition strategy, which aims to cut emissions by 35 per cent by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030. By 2050, the city wants to achieve net-zero emissions per person.
The Bus Centre
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