Canada's TransLink adding New Flyer CHARGE battery-electric buses

New Flyer Industries Canada ULC, a Canadian subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., announced a new contract with the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) for two 40-foot, zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE™ heavy-duty transit buses. The buses are part of the Pan-Canadian Electric-Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial, facilitated by the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).

TransLink will deploy the electric buses and overhead electric charging stations compatible with the OppCharge protocol. The high-powered charging stations are being provided by ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB) and Siemens Canada, and are compatible with all heavy-duty buses tested during the demonstration. CUTRIC was fundamental in bringing together funding partners, various manufacturers, utility providers, and Canadian research teams to purchase, test, and demonstrate the interoperability of electric buses and interoperable charging solutions across the three agencies.

“New Flyer has been a proud member of CUTRIC since 2016, and is committed to the success of the Pan-Canadian Electric-Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial,” said Jennifer McNeill, VP, sales and marketing. “New Flyer has led North American efforts to develop industry standards for both on-route and depot charging of battery-electric buses, and has worked to ensure that transit agencies can make the most of major investments required for electric bus fleet development and operation.”

CUTRIC is a member-based innovation consortium that partners stakeholders in industry, transit, and academia to develop the next-generation of low-carbon smart mobility technologies. Its mandate is to drive forward innovation in transportation across Canada, create jobs by doing so, and lead to significant greenhouse gas reductions.