Electric bus infrastructure construction is getting underway this spring at the Regional District of Nanaimo Transit Facility.
Nanaimo is currently scheduled to receive 10 heavy-duty electric buses after construction is completed this winter. Work to prepare the site to receive new electric buses includes:
- 16 charging stations;
- power distribution equipment; and
- site works to support electric bus equipment installation.
The public will not be impacted by construction, and no traffic disruptions are expected. Customers can expect bus service to continue as scheduled.
Eight BC Transit systems are lined up for electrification projects, including Nelson, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Powell River, Sunshine Coast, Victoria and Whistler. In 2024, BC Transit placed orders for 125 heavy-duty electric buses. Twenty-five electric buses are currently in service in Victoria.
Electrification projects in Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Powell River and Sunshine Coast are made possible thanks to joint funding through the Zero Emissions Transit Fund totalling $168 million from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, with contributions from local government partners. Of this amount, $164 million is allocated to eligible project costs, such as planning, design, and construction, while $4 million covers ineligible costs for expenses not funded through the program.
Funding for BC Transit’s electric buses and infrastructure was announced in July 2023, supported in part by the Zero Emission Transit Fund and the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
Media contacts
BC Transit Communications
250-880-1303 | media@bctransit.com