$400 million in new funding for BC Transit's new battery-electric bus fleet

BC Transit bus on the Sea to Sky Highway near Whistler Village. (Trevor Bodnar/Resort Municipality of Whistler)

The provincial public transit authority is receiving a major infusion in new funding to introduce a significant battery-electric bus fleet and the necessary supporting infrastructure.

BC Transit will receive about $396 million to begin its transition to a battery-electric bus fleet, with the federal government contributing $170 million, the provincial government covering $159 million, and the public transit authority covering the remainder of $67 million.

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This will enable BC Transit to acquire up to 115 battery-electric buses and install 134 charging stations across the province where.

“BC Transit is pleased to work with our federal, provincial, and local government partners to deliver environmentally sustainable modes of transportation that our transit customers can rely on,” said Erinn Pinkerton, president and CEO of BC Transit, in a statement today.

“I thank our partners for their continuous support as we make the exciting and necessary shift towards cleaner modes of transportation.”

Example of a Proterra electric-battery bus. (Proterra)

In 2019, BC Transit created a strategy to fully transition its bus fleet to battery-electric models by 2040.

The new funding being provided for the first major wave of new battery-electric buses is equivalent to about 10% of BC Transit’s existing province-wide fleet of over 1,200 buses.

The provincial government is currently in the process of considering policies to accelerate the regulation of battery-electric bus fleet adoption for both BC Transit and TransLink as part of its CleanBC emission-reduction goals, and the federal government has funding programs to help rollout 5,000 zero-emission public transit and school buses across the country by 2026.

“We are strengthening the connections in our communities, reducing congestion, and making transportation more accessible and healthier for all. This investment will make a meaningful contribution in our plan to eliminate emissions from the transportation sector, which represents the second largest source of emissions in Canada,” said Patrick Weiler, MP for the federal riding of West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, and Sea to Sky Country.

Rob Fleming, BC minister of transportation and infrastructure, added: “By investing in modern electric buses and infrastructure for communities across the province, we provide people with more access to clean and convenient transit services which helps build a sustainable future for generations to come, prioritizing the well-being of both people and the environment.”

For its separate plans for Metro Vancouver, TransLink is planning to achieve 155 battery-electric buses by 2025 and grow to nearly 500 by 2030 as part of its gradual transition to reach a 100% zero-emission bus fleet by 2040. The expansion needs to be matched by supporting maintenance facilities and charging infrastructure, including upgrades to existing bus depots and the construction of the new Marpole Transit Centre bus depot in South Vancouver to handle 350 battery-electric buses.

TransLink’s first new Nova LFSEe+ electric-battery bus being charged at the bus loop at SkyTrain 22nd Street Station. (TransLink)

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