Description
Transit is a much more energy efficient and lower carbon way to make trips. Nevertheless, as transit fleets expand to provide new services, transit must also convert to zero emission vehicles. ION light rail transit is already zero emissions, running on electricity. Grand River Transit will pilot zero emission buses beginning as early as 2022, and new bus purchases are expected to be zero emissions only beginning in 2025. As diesel buses are replaced at the end of their life, the entire fleet is expected to be converted by about 2040.
This action will be led by the Region of Waterloo. Please see below for the most recent publicly available updates.
REGION OF WATERLOO
Pilot of electric battery buses is underway with 10 of 11 electric buses in operation. Preliminary results of the pilot are that is is not feasible to rely on current electric bus technologies to meet the 2025-2030 bus replacement and expansion schedule required to maintain and enhance Grand River Transit service levels. Low emission technologies will continue to be evaluated as they become commercially available. The current fleet of electric buses will continue service on Route 7.