This week the region will see its first ever fully electric bus delivered in Waterloo, putting Grand River Transit on the track to reach its goal of becoming emissions free.
Originally slated to be on the road in Spring 2023, the electric buses will be finally coming to the region this Friday at an unveiling ceremony at the new 305,000 square-foot Northfield Drive Maintenance Facility in Waterloo.
This is one of 11 buses that will make their way onto regional roads this year with the others coming in the later months.
"This initiative is part of the Region’s plan to electrify its bus fleet, provide a sustainable transit service, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said GRT on its website.
The batch of 11 buses are coming from Nova Bus a member of the Volvo Group and a leading North American transit bus manufacturer.
The plan is to purchase hybrid vehicles to replace their outdated diesel fleet of about 280 vehicles and add fully electric ones as the technology improves over time.
"Currently, the battery range does not allow a vehicle to stay on the road for the full distance many of our buses travel in a day," said the region.
"Electric bus and battery technology is getting better – and the cost is decreasing – every year. By gradually phasing in electric vehicles, we can take advantage of those improvements and transition our fleet in the most cost-effective way."
GRT stopped buying diesel buses back in 2021 in preparation of having a completely electric fleet by 2026.
