At a recent meeting of Winnipeg’s city council, transit director Dave Wardrop announced that the future of the city’s mass transit system will likely involve buses that run on electricity.
As part of a project involving New Flyer Industries, Manitoba Hydro, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and the provincial government, the city will be testing four electric-powered buses starting in 2014.
The vehicles will run on rechargeable lithium ion batteries, making them much less expensive to operate that those powered by more conventional methods, such as compressed or liquid natural gas.
The test will be part of a long-term pilot project that will take place over the next few years. The first prototype bus was revealed last year. Mr Wardrop was one of the first passengers, and he noted that the ride was exceptionally smooth and quiet.
New Flyer is the largest manufacturer of this type of mass transit vehicle in North America, with around 40 per cent of the market share. The vehicle that it has provided for the project is their Excelsior model, which is 12 meters long. The cost of developing the prototype was $3 million and was shared between the four partners.
Winnipeg Transit noted that its ridership has grown by 30 per cent in the last 10 years, and it is hoped that the new buses will continue to provide the service that the riders have come to expect. Print companies could be called upon once the new system is launched, with passengers requiring timetables and informative Brochures.
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