In a significant step towards its goal of achieving carbon-neutrality on the road by 2040, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has entered into a framework agreement with North American manufacturer New Flyer. The agreement entails the delivery of up to 621 battery buses, with an initial order of 186 units already placed.
The order specifically includes 186 units of New Flyer’s Xcelsior Charge NG model, featuring a length of 40 feet (approximately 12 meters). Furthermore, the framework agreement allows for an option to purchase an additional 435 units of the same model. The contract extends over a period of five years.
In addition to the TTC’s procurement, the agreement includes provisions for other authorities in Ontario to establish their own agreements with New Flyer, potentially resulting in the acquisition of up to 550 buses over a four-year span.
Last year, the TTC had already acquired over 200 Xcelsior hybrid buses in 12- and 18-meter variations. As per New Flyer, the four-year contract also offers the TTC the opportunity to exercise options for up to 263 more 40-foot hybrid electric buses and 100 60-foot buses. It is worth noting that the TTC had previously conducted a successful pilot program with 25 battery-electric buses from New Flyer.
Chris Stoddart, President of North American Bus and Coach at NFI, New Flyer’s parent company, expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration: “We are proud of the performance from the active in-service trial and are excited to add to the New Flyer fleet at TTC. The ability for TTC to have fleet commonality across New Flyer Xcelsior bus platforms with different propulsion systems speaks to our design and supportability.”
The TTC’s commitment to transitioning to sustainable transportation is reflected in its ambitious plan to procure a total of 340 new electric buses by 2025. The recent agreement with New Flyer is a significant step towards realizing this goal. To support this initiative, the city of Toronto has announced its intention to invest 700 million Canadian dollars, equivalent to approximately 465 million euros, in new electric buses, with financial assistance from the provincial government.
With the TTC’s continued efforts and partnerships such as the one with New Flyer, Toronto is poised to make significant progress in reducing emissions and building a more sustainable future for public transportation.
