City of Calgary announces procurement of 120 electric transit buses
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Calgary Transit is purchasing 120 new electric buses, the city announced Friday, thanks to funding support from a previous federal government grant.
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The procurement of Canadian-made Nova LFSe+ electric buses from longtime supplier Nova Bus will replace some aging diesel-fuelled vehicles and strengthen service reliability, the city said in a news release.
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The e-buses are already being used in Banff, Toronto and Ottawa, and have 'proven performance in Canadian climates,' the city said.
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'Thanks to federal support, the investment will increase fleet size while diversifying fuel sources and reducing long-term costs,' the release stated.
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Under the previous Justin Trudeau government, federal ministers announced a $325-million grant for the City of Calgary in June 2023 to aid in the purchase of 259 electric buses.
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In line with federal targets, the city is aiming to decarbonize its transit system by 2050. Calgary Transit is in the midst of an almost half-billion-dollar fleet transition.
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The funding breakdown for that transition is $100 million from the city, $123 million from the Canada Infrastructure Bank and $220 million from the Zero Emission Transit Fund. The federal funding includes both bus costs and infrastructure and facility upgrades.
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The electric bus program is only one part of our multi-faceted fleet plan that will continue to look at different opportunities to incorporate other fuels in our fleet as well,' Calgary Transit director Sharon Fleming said in an interview Friday.
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Deliveries will begin in 2027 and all 120 buses are slated to be in use by the end of 2028.
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Once in service, the 120 e-buses would account for approximately 10 per cent of the city's bus and shuttle fleet, according to Fleming.
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'It will also give us an opportunity to try electric buses,' she said. 'If we're to one day go to hydrogen buses, a lot of the platform that we use to run the electric buses is actually replicated in the hydrogen fuel cell buses, so it gives us some learnings we could use in the future.'
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Toronto Sun
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Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. 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Winnipeg Free Press
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