Ottawa's buses are going electric; here's what it's like to ride one
OC Transpo buses are going electric, with a plan to make the entire fleet zero-emission. So, what’s it like to be a passenger?
Ottawa currently has four electric buses, but there is a plan for more.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
A report prepared for the City of Ottawa's Transit Commission says that OC Transpo's electric buses are performing as well as the existing diesel vehicles, allaying concerns about the future transition to a fully electric fleet.
This follows a previous report last May that showed the battery-electric buses "met or surpassed" the range and efficiency promised by the manufacturer.
“After two years in service, our electric busses have accumulated over 500,000 kilometres and saved approximately 25,000 litres of fuel per bus in 2023. They have also proven reliable,” Program Manager of Capital Projects and Engineering Daniel Villeneuve told the city's Transit Commission Monday.
The city is going all in. Approximately 700 diesel-powered buses will be phased out by 2036, starting with around 350 going electric over the next three years.
“The eventual plan is to, as per the climate change master plan, is to convert all OC Transpo buses to zero emission,” Villeneuve tells CTV News Ottawa.
He says it is better for the environment and has lower fuel costs, but is going electric actually cheaper?
“To be the determined. The goal is yes, that on the maintenance there's a savings and also on the energy itself. Going from diesel to electric, we are anticipating a savings,” says Villeneuve.
Electric buses also cost more to buy. The city says it has budgeted $1.4 million per bus – compared to the cost of a diesel bus, which was around $700,000 years ago, when new.
Passenger experience
OC Transpo allowed CTV News to ride an electric bus recently. It’s fairly similar to being a passenger on a regular bus – and some may not even realize it; except for one thing that’s missing, the sound of the diesel engine.
The lack of engine noise has caused the city to install “white noise” generators on the exterior of the bus.
“That operates when the bus is a slow-moving, below 30 kilometers. So as they pull up to a station, you know, if there's pedestrians, cyclists and so on, it's for safety and also for accessible feature,” says Villeneuve.
While the bus is powered by electricity, there is a diesel-powered heater on board. Villeneuve tells CTV News it turns on when the temperature gets below 5 degrees Celsius.
OC Transpo says it is also adding more chargers and other upgrades at the St. Laurent bus garage, along with a planned boost to the power grid.
“We are in partnership with Hydro Ottawa to when they'll bring in a temporary service as we transition and a permanent connection as they build their new offsite substation to support the electricity required for the program,” says Villeneuve.
There will also be two natural gas-powered back-up generators, to charge buses in the event of a power outage.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.