BC Transit is pleased to be proceeding with the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for our first 10 battery electric heavy-duty buses. Heavy duty buses are the regular 40’ transit buses you see in communities across the province.
We’re excited to take this step after gathering responses from industry through a formal Request for Information that is supporting and informing the continued project and program development.
The RFP will allow BC Transit the option of purchasing more heavy duty battery electric buses, along with the associated infrastructure, from the successful proponents to support the replacement and expansion of the heavy duty fleet.
The procurement of these 10 battery electric buses will help us on our path to:
- Exceed the Province of BC’s greenhouse gas reduction targets;
- Never buying further diesel heavy duty buses;
- Buying only zero-emission buses in all fleet classifications after 2028; and
- Having a fully zero-emission provincial fleet by 2040.
To ensure we are moving forward with a procurement that provides the highest degree of value and success, we are anticipating the first 10 battery electric buses to be in Victoria as of the summer of 2022.
More details about the outcome of the RFP will be available in 2021 once the process concludes.
The 10 battery electric buses are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of BC, and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.
Meanwhile, work continues to replace end-of-life diesel buses in the Victoria fleet with new cleaner, more efficient Compressed Natural Gas buses. This process will also take place in the Central Fraser Valley in early 2021.
