Photo: Electric Autonomy
Following a 12-month trial period for an electric bus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the city is noting the vast amounts of savings it could garner by replacing its fleet with all-electric buses.
The city of Saskatoon has concluded it could save as much as $66 million by switching its public transit fleet to 100 percent electric buses, according to data from the pilot shared by the city (via Electric Autonomy).
The data, reported in a virtual meeting on March 7, shows that the pilot run between October 2020 and September 2021 found the bus to perform just as well as diesel buses in cold weather, if not better.
Canada Infrastructure Bank Announces Funding for 4,000 Electric School Buses in Quebec https://t.co/gVXbPDygKO
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During the meeting, General Manager of Transportation and Construction for the city of Saskatoon Terry Schmidt emphasized the difficulty in the move to electric buses, but added that it would lower costs and improve performance for the city’s transit system.
Schmidt said, “The administration believes the move to battery electric buses (BEBs) for both financial and environmental reasons will be difficult no matter when the decision is made. There will always be limited funds and a high degree of urgency for fleet replacement.”
Schmidt continued, “But considering all factors the administration believes that moving to be BEBs now makes sense because this investment will lower the long-term cost of the city and provide for better performance in cold weather.”
Last month, Mississauga, Ontario municipal transit company MiWay ordered 165 New Flyer hybrid-electric buses, set to be added to the organization’s nearly 500-bus fleet.
