LATEST STORIES:
Milton adds Canada’s first diesel-to-electric bus to local transit service
The Town of Milton added it and Canada’s first diesel-to-electric converted bus to their local transit system Monday.
The 12-metre electric bus began operating on the town’s Route 1 High Point, and will run for around five hours each weekday.
Milton Transit Solutions plans to gather real-world data on how passenger loads, weather, and traffic affect the bus’s battery capacity.
The addition of the bus is a milestone in the town’s diesel-to-electric bus conversion project, which saw the bus begin road testing in April.
The town will be the first municipality in Canada to pilot mid-life, diesel-to-battery electric conversion technology on a transit bus.
“It’s very exciting to launch our new, converted battery-electric bus into service,” said Gord Krantz, the mayor of Milton in a statement. “This is a big step for the Town of Milton as we explore modern technologies that move us closer to our sustainability goals.”
Milton says switching a bus from diesel to electric could cut more than 51,000 kilograms of emissions over six years.
Milton Transit said it will closely monitor the pilot to inform plans as it transitions toward a fully electrified bus fleet.
