TransLink is partnering with Natural Resources Canada, Metro Vancouver and BC Hydro to bring four fast-charging electric-battery buses to the region starting in 2019.
This two-and-a-half year integration trial is part of a pan-Canadian initiative led by the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium. This will allow TransLink to explore another way to reduce carbon emissions while providing efficient travel for customers.
Manufacturers New Flyer and Nova Bus will each produce two electric-battery buses for testing on Route 100, travelling along Marine Drive through Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster. High-powered charging stations provided by ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB) and Siemens Canada will be installed at each end of the route: one at Marpole Bus Loop and the other at 22nd Street SkyTrain Station. These stations will deliver a rapid charge within 4-7 minutes while the buses are in layover, ensuring sufficient charge is maintained for reliable service.
TransLink will collect data on bus and charging station cross-compatibility as well as bus performance, maintenance and overall customer experience. Gaining this on-the-ground experience with different technologies will inform the Low Carbon Strategy, currently under development, which will chart our transition towards a zero-emission bus fleet.
Almost half of TransLink’s current fleet runs on cleaner technology, and includes:
- 262 electric trolley,
- 145 compressed natural gas, and
- 255 hybrid diesel buses
