Kingston Transit adds two new fully electric buses to fleet
Kingston Transit has some new additions to its fleet, two fully electric buses.
The battery-powered buses are zero emission and can travel on roads for several hours before needing a charge, says Kingston Transit Services Director Jeremy DaCosta.
“It does depend on the route that they’re operating on, and some other factors, like the number of passengers or whether the heating and cooling systems are running because that will depend on how much energy is consumed,” he explains.
The project's total price tag comes in at $2.7 million. A single fully electric bus comes at a price tag of $1.2 million, while a diesel engine bus costs about half that, explains DaCosta. The city says they expect to see savings in the long term.
“The experience of other transits right away is that operational costs do reduce, do go down,” he explains. “What isn’t entirely known, though, is how that will play out over the entire life of the vehicle.”
Funding came from all three levels of government. On Thursday, Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney and Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen were on hand to launch the new buses.
“It’s an important step in the right direction, the greening of Kingston’s fleet,” says Minister Mulroney.
“It is a real pleasure for me to be here to be here, to see this, to see these buses have arrived,” says Gerretsen. “I’m looking forward to seeing more of these buses arrive. I’m looking forward to the day that [Kingston Transit] can say that the entire fleet is electrified.”
It’s part of a trend by many municipalities across the country to include battery powered public transit. Cities like Ottawa have announced plans to switch over their entire fleet in the coming years.
Paterson says these two vehicles are a starting point.
“We’re going to test them out. We’re going to try them out, we’re going to try to make sure that they work great. That will then build the momentum that we can start to make investments in future buses,” explains Paterson.
“That’s critical for us as a city to be able to lower our carbon emissions, to meet our climate goals, so this is the first two of many.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city, marking the first franchise in Canada
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.