Toronto Transit Commission confirms 340 new e-buses
Canada’s largest city, Toronto, is investing CAD 700 million into procuring 340 electric buses and infrastructure. There is some funding through the provincial government.
The equivalent investment of €465 million is being shared more or less equally by the Canadian government and the City of Toronto. The 340 electric buses and 248 chargers are for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), which also upgrades eight bus depots before the e-buses enter service in 2025.
TTC had announced plans to purchase new electric buses two years ago. However, then and the same today, the manufacturer remains unnamed. The 60 electric buses that TTC already has in its fleet come in equal shares from BYD, New Flyer and Proterra.
The TTC targets operating an emission-free fleet by 2040. “When completed, this project will provide Toronto residents with better public transit options with access to new, clean and convenient transit options,” the latest announcement also says.
“Zero-emission vehicles are the future of public transit, and I am grateful for the generous federal and municipal support for this project,” says Jon Burnside, Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission. “We are proud to pave the way for the electrification of public transit across North America as we work towards our goal of being completely emission-free by 2040.”
The Government of Canada contributes $349 million to this project through the Zero Emission Transit Fund. The City of Toronto is contributing $351 million.
The federal Zero Emission Transit Fund is currently accepting applications to help cover planning and capital costs related to the electrification of the school and transit fleet. The total budget of $2.75 billion (just over €1.8 billion) covers the period of 2021 to 2026. It supports the government’s “commitment to subsidise the purchase of 5,000 zero-emission buses over the next five years”. The programme is part of a larger, eight-year, $14.9 billion investment plan unveiled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for public transit in February 2021.
Several manufacturers of electric buses are active in Canada, such as Nova Bus in Saint-Eustache, Lion Electrique in Saint-Jérôme, GreenPower in Vancouver and New Flyer in Winnipeg.
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