Thunder Bay could soon join the ranks of cities evaluating the acquisition of battery-powered, zero-emission transit buses.
Tbnewswatch.com has learned that a proposal will go before city council next month for approval to evaluate the feasibility of acquiring and operating the vehicles in Thunder Bay.
Jim Suffak, Fleet Manager for the city, said that city staff have been monitoring the introduction by several manufacturers of zero-emission, fully-electric buses for quite some time, and have already had talks with one company headquartered in Quebec.
"We've had discussions with Nova Bus, which is one of our main suppliers for buses for the last while."
Suffak said staff will report to city council in February on a proposal to look at zero-emission buses in the near future. "We first have to do an evaluation and a business case to support them, because they are quite expensive."
Electric buses cost in the range of $1 million, or double the cost of a diesel bus. Thunder Bay Transit currently operates 48 diesel-powered vehicles.
Suffak pointed out that the capital cost would also include the infrastructure required to keep zero-emission buses powered up. "They have quite an extensive charging system, and that needs to be engineered and installed in strategic places where buses can be charged efficiently."
The presentation to council in the coming weeks will provide more details. Suffak said that if council approves, staff will undertake a review over the next year or so, including options and costs.
Zero-emission buses are currently in test mode with a few transit systems across Canada.
