First battery-electric buses go live at Winnipeg Transit
The first bus will be a 60-foot articulated (‘bendy’) electric bus, and will operate a limited service starting next week – meaning it will only run during morning rush hour and early afternoons on weekdays. After 30 days has elapsed, the bus will enter full service. This 30-day limited service period also applies to the other electric buses set to join Winnipeg Transit’s fleet.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said: “The first 60-foot electric buses in Canada will roll out right here in Winnipeg, and they’re being built by New Flyer. This is a big step towards a cleaner, more sustainable fleet, while continuing to balance affordability and reliability for riders.”
The 60-foot models appears to be the articulated model of the Xcelsior CHARGE NG. Winnipeg Transit hasn’t provided data on the exact specification of the model they purchased, besides claiming that they can be driven for between 10 and 15 hours. However, New Flyer states on its website that these have a battery of between 345kWh – 520kWh and up to 61 seats.
Winnipeg Transit has confirmed that a total of 16 ‘zero-emission’ (inc. fuel cell and battery-electric) buses have arrived at its Fort Rouge and Brandon depots. This includes four 40-foot and four 60-foot fuel cell electric buses, plus four 40-foot and four 60-foot battery electric buses. Winnipeg Transit has not confirmed whether or not the 40-foot models are also New Flyer buses. However, given that New Flyer produces both 40- and 60-foot models of both its battery-electric CHARGE NG and the fuel cell CHARGE FC, there’s a fairly decent chance that all of the buses are New Flyer vehicles.
In total, Winnipeg Transit says it plans to buy a total of 90 ZEBs, the next 24 of which are due to arrive in early 2026. It will also install the necessary charging infrastructure to support their deployment. This is being funded at least in part with $280.3M CAD in funding from the Canadian Transition to Zero-Emission Bus Program.
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