BRAMPTON, ON, July 29, 2019 /CNW/ - Reducing pollution from transportation is essential as Canada works to fight climate change, support healthy communities and invest in clean economic growth. The Government of Canada is encouraging the widespread adoption of electric vehicles by supporting innovative projects that provide more options to drive clean, including by making investments in electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles.
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, today announced an investment of $7.6 million from the Low Carbon Economy Fund toward the largest global deployment to date of fully interoperable battery electric buses and high-powered, overhead, on-route chargers in Brampton, which will displace the city's diesel buses and significantly reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution.
Minister McKenna also announced, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, a $3.5-million investment from Natural Resources Canada's Green Infrastructure Program to help the city procure, install, operate and maintain four 450kW overhead bus-charging stations and eight battery electric buses.
With a total of more than $11 million in funding provided by the Government of Canada toward the Brampton portion of the Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Network, these investments will help reduce pollution and energy costs and pave the way for a zero-emission transportation sector.
Canada's two leading bus manufacturers, New Flyer Industries and Nova Bus, will manufacture the battery electric buses, and Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) and Siemens will provide the on-route chargers, which will demonstrate the performance of the overhead electric bus charging system and enable future mass deployments.
To date, the Government of Canada has invested $182.5 million to support the deployment of electric chargers; natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations; the demonstration of new, innovative charging technologies; and the development of codes and standards for low-carbon vehicles and refuelling infrastructure.
Through Canada's national energy dialogue, Generation Energy, Canadians made it clear that the transition to energy independence through the combined efforts of federal, provincial and territorial governments is a necessity for advancing toward a low-carbon future.
Quick Facts
- Led by the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), the Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial was launched at TransLink in Vancouver in April 2018 as part of a national coordinated effort to advance zero-emissions transit technology.
- The funding for Brampton's participation in Phase 1 of the CUTRIC Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial, subject to funding agreements, will be administered through Natural Resources Canada using a portion of Ontario's Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund allocation.
- Natural Resources Canada's Green Infrastructure Program is key to building our clean growth economy, helping accelerate the deployment and market entry of next-generation clean energy infrastructure, including electric vehicle infrastructure demonstrations.
Quotes
"Cleaner vehicles are good for our communities, our economy and our environment. Our government's investment in Ontario's electric bus network will help support innovative Canadian companies and good jobs in Canada's cleantech sector, while keeping our air healthy and fighting climate change, so we can build a cleaner future for our kids and grandkids."
Catherine McKenna
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada
"This investment launches the largest interoperable system in play with the most intense use of a high-power charging system on-route in Canada. With eight e-buses and four overhead chargers in Brampton as part of the Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial, today's announcement marks the moment Canada has become an unquestioned world leader in e-mobility."
Josipa Petrunic
Executive Director and CEO of CUTRIC
"Brampton recently joined 35 other communities in declaring a climate emergency. Our goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Brampton by 80 percent by 2050, and we are planning and launching better policies and technology to support our priority to develop a green city. Today's exciting announcement marks a major milestone on that journey. I thank the Government of Canada and our project partners for their investment in our future and in greater sustainability in Brampton."
Patrick Brown
Mayor of Brampton
Associated links
Electric Bus Infrastructure Comes to Vancouver
Green Infrastructure Program
Low Carbon Economy Fund
Brampton Transit Electric Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial
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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100,[email protected]; Vanessa Adams, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 343-543-7645, [email protected]
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