City unveils first electric bus in its fleet

Saskatoon Transit will be testing an electric bus over the next year as part of its public transport fleet.

In a release, the city says it is hoping the addition of the electric bus will result in lower fuel bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be $533,600, of which $234,300 is from the Green Municipal Fund (GMF). That’s a fund financed by the Government of Canada and administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

The release says this is a milestone in Saskatoon’s Low Emission Community Plan, which has a goal of the transit fleet being 100 per cent electric by 2030.

The electric bus project’s net carbon emissions reduction is expected to be 50.3 tonnes of CO2 per bus per year (accounting for the bus and the electrical grid’s emissions-intensity factors) and is expected to save $27,500 in fuel costs per bus per year.

The city says the project will include a strong focus on how an electric bus will perform in Saskatchewan’s cold winter weather.

“This is a great step towards the further expansion of zero-emission technology in Saskatoon. The world of transportation is changing rapidly and we need to adapt and implement these new technologies to be ready. This will also help us make important strides in meeting our long-term sustainability goals,” Mayor Charlie Clark said in the release.

The city says some of the benefits of the new bus include improved air at bus terminals, less noise pollution along bus routes and lower operation and maintenance costs.

“Buses already help tackle climate change by providing a way to get around other than in cars or trucks. With more people taking transit in Saskatoon, electric buses will make a real difference. This pilot helps Saskatoon Transit achieve our goal of replacing 10 conventional buses with electric buses per year, creating an all-electric fleet within the next 10 years,” said Jim McDonald, director of Saskatoon Transit.