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
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Getting the lowest mortgage rates in a high interest rate world
The challenges facing home buyers mean it's all the more important to do research and negotiate on rates, mortgage experts say, though they also caution that there's more to focus on than just what looks like the cheapest upfront option.