TransLink launches new electric bus trial

TRANSLINK is partnering with Natural Resources Canada, Metro Vancouver and BC Hydro to bring four fast-charging electric-battery buses to the region starting in 2019.
This two-and-a-half year integration trial is part of a pan-Canadian initiative led by the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC). This will allow TransLink to explore another way to reduce carbon emissions while providing efficient travel for customers
Manufacturers New Flyer and Nova Bus will each produce two electric-battery buses for testing on Route 100, travelling along Marine Drive through Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster. High-powered charging stations provided by ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB) and Siemens Canada will be installed at each end of the route: one at Marpole Bus Loop and the other at 22nd Avenue SkyTrain Station. These stations will deliver a rapid charge within 4-7 minutes while the buses are in layover, ensuring sufficient charge is maintained for reliable service.
TransLink will collect data on bus and charging station cross-compatibility as well as bus performance, maintenance and overall customer experience. Gaining this on-the-ground experience with different technologies will inform the Low Carbon Strategy, currently under development, which will chart our transition towards a zero-emission bus fleet.
Almost half of TransLink’s current fleet runs on cleaner technology, and includes:
* 262 electric trolley,
* 145 compressed natural gas, and
* 255 hybrid diesel buses
Greg Moore, Chair, Metro Vancouver, said on Thursday: “The electric bus trial is a significant step for Metro Vancouver, especially as gas and diesel vehicles are the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in our region. These are the viable alternatives we are looking at as we develop our Climate 2050 Strategy, which aims to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change, and our ongoing initiatives to reduce harmful emissions of diesel particulate matter.”
Kevin Desmond, CEO, TransLink, noted: “Mass transit has always scored high as a sustainable way to move large numbers of people, but many transit vehicles still use carbon-based fuels. Today, almost half our bus fleet runs on cleaner technology including our electric trolley, hybrid diesel and natural gas buses. With this fast-charge, battery-electric trial, TransLink is getting the on-the-ground experience we need to develop our Low Carbon Fleet Strategy and transition towards a zero-emission fleet.”