Grand River Transit introduced its first electric bus at the Northfield Drive Maintenance Facility in Waterloo today.
The new, fully electric vehicle will begin service next month as part of its zero-emission bus pilot project. Ten more electric buses are expected to arrive this year.
The buses, and associated electric chargers located at the Northfield garage cost about $15 million and were funded by three levels of government.
The federal government provided more $6 million through its Public Transit Infrastructure Stream and the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, the province provided more than $5 million through, and the Region of Waterloo spent just over $4 million.
The initiative is part of the Region of Waterloo’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
In 2020, the Region of Waterloo discontinued the purchase of diesel-only buses, switching to hybrid and electric options.
As part of the pilot project, GRT will be collecting information about how the battery-operated buses handle different routes and driving conditions, as well as getting feedback from customers about their experiences on board. The information will be used as part of GRT’s business plan, which will provide a roadmap for service improvements and expansion over the next five years.
The buses have been purchased from Nova Bus and will be housed and charged at the maintenance facility in Waterloo, which opened in September 2022.
Six chargers have been installed and buses can be fully charged in about four hours.
As more electric buses hit the road, GRT says there will be opportunities for the community to see them up close and learn more about the pilot project.
For more information on Grand River Transit’s electric bus program, visit grt.ca/.
And there it is! The first of 11 electric buses we’ll be adding to our fleet in 2024. The bus will head out on the road for testing next week, then start picking up passengers later in February. You’ll see it first on Routes 6 and 21. 🚍 🔋 pic.twitter.com/Ncx8oOemXX
— Grand River Transit (@GRT_ROW) January 26, 2024
