Halifax Transit in Canada announced the launch of electric buses into service, which marks the final steps in Phase 1 of its Zero Emission Bus Project.
The project will result in the addition of over 200 zero emission buses to the Halifax Transit fleet, an expansion of the Ragged Lake Transit Centre (RLTC), and an eco-rebuild of the Burnside Transit Centre to achieve a net-zero ready standard, according to a statement.
The project aligns with municipal, provincial and federal climate targets and will help to achieve the goals and actions outlined in HalifACT, the municipality’s climate action plan.
The transportation agency also expanded the Ragged Lake Transit Centre (RLTC) storage facility to accommodate 60 new battery electric buses and associated charging equipment. The project includes the construction of a 3,100-meter, one-story expansion to RLTC bus storage garage; the addition of four lanes to the existing bus storage building that will provide space to accommodate 40 additional buses; and the installation of 67 electric bus charging stalls (up to 5,250 kW). Electric bus charging stalls will also be installed in three existing bus storage lanes.
Additionally, the Environment and Climate Change division led a project involving the installation of an extensive solar array on top of the existing building.
On July 15, 2021, the governments of Canada, Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality announced a combined $112 million investment toward this project. This funding was used to implement Phase 1 of the project, which included the procurement of 60 electric buses, an expansion of the Ragged Lake Transit Centre to house the buses and associated charging equipment, and a deep energy retrofit of the facility to achieve a net-zero-ready standard.
The first electric bus arrived in Dec. 2023 and has been used for training, road testing, and public engagement activities. The remaining 59 buses have continued to arrive over the past year. Beginning Dec. 9, 2024, three electric buses entered into passenger service to test performance in real world conditions, one of the final steps ahead of an official launch. Phase 2 of the project will include an eco-rebuild of the Burnside Transit Centre to house additional electric buses and achieve net-zero standard.