As part of its move toward a fleet that emits no emissions at all, the Toronto Transit Commission is getting the first of 336 hybrid electric buses. After undergoing testing and inspection, these eco-friendly, comfortable buses, which begin arriving this month, will enter service in May. This procedure will continue until the beginning of next year.
All of these vehicles will take the place of older buses that have outlived their usefulness. The 68 sixty-foot hybrid-electric buses will take the place of older forty-foot buses, increasing the fleet’s capacity significantly and shortening travel times. These transports will be based out of the TTC’s Mount Dennis and Wilson divisions and will serve courses in midtown, downtown, North York, and Etobicoke.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie stated, “Hybrid-electric buses offer residents and visitors a clean, quiet, and healthy alternative to traveling around our city.” These brand-new buses demonstrate the City of Toronto’s ongoing efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, shape a sustainable city, and reduce our cumulative carbon footprint.
The TTC Green Bus Technology Plan, which was approved by the Board in November 2017, calls for the procurement of zero-emission buses beginning in 2025 and low-emission hybrid-electric buses until 2024. By 2040, the goal is to have a fleet that emits no emissions at all. This is a basic move toward the City of Toronto’s TransformTO Net Zero Procedure and is lined up with worldwide responsibilities through the Non-renewable energy source Free Roads Statement.
“We are extremely satisfied to be pushing ahead with our manageability objectives, while likewise giving a superior travel insight to our clients,” said TTC Seat Jon Burnside. ” Our customers and employees will benefit from fewer greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, and newer vehicles thanks to the addition of hybrid buses.
Rick Leary, CEO of the TTC, stated, “The TTC is committed to being completely zero-emissions by 2040 or sooner.” As eBus innovation is as yet creating, we’ve bought crossover electric transports, which are a demonstrated change innovation. With the expansion of these new, current vehicles to our armada, we are well en route to accomplishing our objectives while proceeding to zero in on conveying solid assistance.”
Because it is driven by an electric motor that is powered by an onboard battery system, the hybrid bus of today is as close as it is possible to being a fully battery-electric bus (eBus). The only thing that sets a hybrid bus apart from an eBus is the hybrid’s onboard generator, which generates electricity when needed. The following are estimates of the advantages of the hybrid-electric fleet:
- Reduces greenhouse emissions by 12,000 tonnes annually. To remove this amount of carbon dioxide naturally, a new forest would need to be created in the City of Toronto that is over 14,000 acres in size, or over 4,500 city blocks. Over the 13-year life of these buses, that’s the equivalent of 156,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
- Reduces diesel cost by $6,864,300 annually. Over the 13-year life of these buses, that’s a savings estimated, conservatively, at over one hundred million dollars.
- Eliminates idling in traffic and at bus stops using engine stop/start technology.
- Enables upskilling for operators and maintenance employees through an all-electric propulsion system and all-electric accessories, including doors, HVAC, power steering, and air compressor systems.
In Feb. 2022, the TTC awarded contracts for 336 hybrid-electric buses to be delivered in 2023 and 2024 as follows:
1) Nova Bus: 134 forty-foot hybrid-electric buses
2) New Flyer Industries: 134 forty-foot hybrid-electric buses
3) New Flyer Industries: 68 sixty-foot hybrid-electric buses
By the middle of 2024, the TTC’s bus fleet will consist of low- or zero-emission buses for one third thanks to this purchase. The TTC will purchase eBus-only vehicles in the future, so this is the last hybrid-electric bus purchase.
