Here’s What’s Happening With Getting Electric Buses in Brampton

Brampton Transit is the fastest growing transit system in Canada, and its also spearheading some pretty awesome initiatives like putting electric buses on Brampton roads.

Brampton Transit is the fastest growing transit system in Canada, and its also spearheading some pretty awesome initiatives like putting electric buses on Brampton roads. Brampton might not be the first city to have electric buses, but big things are happening on the west coast that could speed up the process. 

On April 12, TransLink launched the Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial: Phase I, where it kicked off a two-year trial for four electric buses along Marine Drive in Vancouver.

Brampton Transit, the Regional Municipality of York, and Translink in Vancouver will be the first regions to get electric buses in Canada. Brampton Transit spearheaded the planning process for trials, while TransLink is getting the first demo buses on its roads as of this month.

Partners included in the project partners include the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), suppliers of the fully electric buses Nova Bus and New Flyer, and charging station manufacturers ABB and Siemens.

The value of this project? A whopping $40 million from the federal government, and total capital costs for the project are anticipated to reach about $13.6 million in Brampton.

Across the three regions, the project integrates “18 standardized and interoperable electric buses, seven standardized and interoperable overhead chargers, and on five routes in three cities,” according to a recent release.

The new vehicles that hit the roads in Vancouver are called the New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGE. The batteries on these buses can recharge within four to seven minutes, according to TransLink.

“For the purposes of the CUTRIC trial we are implementing an on route rapid charging system in co-operation with ABB and Siemens who are the providers of the charging equipment,” reads the release. “This overhead charging strategy allows the bus to essentially stay in service indefinitely and is limited only by the transit service demands. 

Here in Brampton, the electric buses will be launched on two existing conventional routes: routes 23 Sandalwood and 26 Mount Pleasant. New overhead charging stations will take shape at the Mount Pleasant Village terminal, the Queen Street/ Highway 50 Zum station and the Sandalwood Transit Facility.

“Electric buses produce less climate-affecting GHGs [Greenhouse Gases] and smog-inducing noxious pollutants,” reads a release from the City of Brampton. “With no diesel engine in the bus, passengers will experience a smooth, silent ride.”

The province recently announced that electric buses are hitting York and Brampton roads in 2019. 

“Ontario is providing up to $13 million from available cap and trade funds to Brampton and York Region to buy 14 electric buses and four charging systems over the next 2 years,” reads a recent release.

The city has approved the purchase of ten battery-electric buses and four high powered overhead on-street electric charging stations.

What do you think of Brampton getting electric buses?