Four transit authorities in Quebec, under a tender coordinated by the Association du transport urbain du Québec (ATUQ) and the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL), have ordered 24 LFSe+ electric buses from Nova Bus, a member of the Volvo Group.
The first pilot bus unit will be delivered in 2022, followed by the others in 2023 and 2024. A total of 10 buses, including five options, will be for RTL, two buses for the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), two buses for the Société de transport de Trois-Rivières and 10 buses for the Société de transport de Sherbrooke (STS). This new order of electric buses is the largest to date and is part of a C$30 million (US$23.25 million) federal and provincial government financial assistance package for the electrification of transportation.
"This announcement shows the governments' willingness to significantly support the electrification of transportation in Quebec and Nova Bus is proud to play a leading role. The collective effort for this green shift is essential in the industry," said Nova Bus President Martin Larose.
Nova Bus says the electric buses have an electric drive motor coupled with BAE Systems' next generation power electronics to provide better fuel economy, longer driving range, reduced maintenance costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
"The RTL's electric shift is well underway and the acquisition of 10 new buses next year (five of which are options) will allow us to reduce our environmental footprint and contribute to Quebec's economic development. The RTL's electric minibuses—put into service last summer as part of a pilot project—are already performing well … and popular! In fact, we expect more than half of our bus fleet to be electric by 2030, with more than 200 buses," said Mayor of Longueuil Catherine Fournier.
Nova Bus is committed to always improving its products and processes to reduce pollution and waste in every aspect of its business, and the LFSe+ is the latest demonstration of that commitment.
