BYD delivered the first two zero-emission, battery-electric buses to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The bus is part of a total order by the TTC for 10 BYD 40-foot K9M buses, all of which are scheduled to be delivered in coming days.

The delivery is a milestone for BYD, as the vehicles are the first to undergo final assembly by BYD at its 45,000-square-foot facility in Newmarket, Ontario that is the first new electric bus plant to open in the province in a generation. BYD’s investment in its Newmarket plant demonstrates BYD’s commitment to bringing bus manufacturing jobs back to Ontario.

The order represents a significant advance toward TTC’s goal of purchasing all emission-free buses beginning in 2025 and completing a fleet conversion by 2040. Each of these new buses will remove approximately 9 metric tons of nitrogen oxides, 159 kilograms of diesel particulate matter, and approximately 1,530 metric tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere over the 12-year lifecycle of the vehicle.

Ill.’s Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD) added five GILLIG 35-foot diesel hybrid-electric buses that were ordered in April 2019. The five buses will begin operation in February when installation and maintenance and operator training are complete.

The new GILLIG buses will utilize Series-ER electric hybrid technology from BAE Systems, which is a combination of a smaller diesel engine and an energy storage system. The technology will result in up to a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and close to a 90% overall reduction in emissions from the buses they are replacing.

The electric hybrid technology is ideal for the demands of transit operation because it allows for the diesel engine to go off operation and into electric mode when the vehicle is stopped. These vehicles can also be programmed or geo-fenced to go into electric mode and run on clean energy in designated areas such as schools, medical facilities or population dense areas of our city. When running in electric mode, there are zero emissions coming from the bus. With less diesel engine use, the hybrid electric buses also help reduce fuel expenses and the frequency for brake changes and other engine component replacements, further reducing maintenance costs for the transit operator.

Other important new features on the buses include the Quantum automatic wheelchair securement system by Q’Straint, which gives complete independence to mobility passengers; enabling them to secure themselves in less than 25 seconds with the simple push of a button with minimal driver assistance and USB ports in the passenger seating areas.