The TTC is getting its first demo electric buses this month
The first of the TTC’s electric buses are scheduled to arrive later this year, but demo buses will be here this month.
According to the TTC’s latest Chief Executive Officer report, 3 demo buses will visit the TTC in April so that frontline employees, who will be operating and maintaining the vehicles, “can have a first-hand look at the new vehicles.”
In November, the TTC Board looked at the electric bus (eBus) program, which is a key initiative of their Corporate Plan and a start to the goal of becoming 100% zero-emission by 2040.
A TTC report at the time also referred to the City of Toronto’s TransformTO action plan that targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 80% by 2050.
“In order for the TTC to do its part, we join other leading transit organizations in the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration, by targeting procurement of only zero-emission buses starting in 2025, and we will target a zero-emissions fleet by 2040,” read the November TTC report.
Initially, the commission said it would be looking into a total of 30 “long-range battery-electric buses” with a total price tag that doesn’t exceed $50 million. All 30 battery-electric buses would be delivered no later than March 31, 2019.
And now, the CEO report confirms that three manufacturers will be providing the buses to Toronto: BYD, New Flyer, and PROTERRA.
Additionally, at the request of the Board, staff will be presenting a change request to the eBus program at the May Board meeting to increase the number of buses from 30 buses to 60.
In its 2018 Customer Charter, the TTC promised to deploy a total of 375 new buses: 311 of the latest clean diesel buses, 54 next generation hybrid-electric buses, and the first 10 of TTC’s all-electric eBuses.
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