London Transit green lights plan for electric bus fleet
It’s the beginning of the end for London Transit’s fleet of noisy, carbon-belching diesel buses.
On Wednesday, the London Transit Commission (LTC) unanimously backed a consultant’s report that recommends a path to gradually transition its fleet to zero-emission electric buses over the coming years.
According to computer modelling performed by the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), a combination of depot-based charging stations and so-called opportunity charging stations located along routes would support 99 per cent of local service on current routes with battery electric buses.
Despite costing about double the price of a traditional diesel bus, CUTRIC’s analysis shows that lower operating costs and environmental benefits justify an initial investment in electrification.
“An expansion fleet of 10 [electric] buses,” explained Kelly Paleczny, general manager of London Transit. “We’re also looking at both depot chargers and opportunity chargers.”
CUTRIC data comparing diesel, battery electric buses (BEB) and hydrogen fuel cell buses (FCEB). (Source: London Transit Commission)
After the purchase of the initial 10 buses, CUTRIC recommends that as existing buses reach their end of life, the LTC’s annual bus replacement program become the mechanism to replace 17 diesel buses each year with electric.
However, Paleczny recommends taking one year to evaluate the real world performance of the first buses before ordering more.
“We have those electric buses to learn from, but we [must] have backup [diesel] for those days when we have [technical] issues, which based on every transit system that’s ahead of where we are, there will be days where there are issues,” she explained.
London Transit will spend $80,000 to join with Burlington Transit as the first participants in a coalition of operators for a group-purchasing program.
The purchasing consortium aims to have the first contracts to purchase integrated systems of buses, charging stations and related equipment signed in March 2023.
Paleczny says given the delivery schedules of suppliers, the first electric buses could roll onto London streets in mid-2024.
“That gives us a year to get all of that other infrastructure complete. The Wonderland Road facility will need retrofits, London Hydro needs about a year advanced notice,” added Paleczny.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.