This week, Winnipeg Transit is introducing its first 60-foot zero-emission electric bus (ZEB) into passenger service.
The new vehicle joins a fleet of buses being rolled out under the city’s Transition to Zero-Emission Bus Programme, which will include:
- Four 40-foot fuel-cell battery-electric buses
- Four 60-foot fuel-cell battery-electric buses
- Four 40-foot battery-electric buses
- Four 60-foot battery-electric buses
With this launch, Winnipeg has become the first Canadian city to introduce 60-foot zero-emission buses into service.
The first vehicle in this fleet — a 40-foot fuel-cell battery-electric vehicle — was introduced at the Fort Rouge Garage at the end of January.
All new buses undergo in-service and out-of-service testing. Assessments consider factors including battery health, energy consumption, and operating costs, as well as the performance of each zero-emission technology in Winnipeg’s climate.
The data collected from these operations will help inform decisions on future fleet electrification. A second order of 24 ZEBs is scheduled to arrive in early 2026.
Battery-electric buses recharge via an electrical connection and operate for 10 to 15 hours, while fuel-cell battery-electric buses refuel with hydrogen and operate for up to 24 hours. Each bus is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 62 tonnes per year.
Under this programme, Winnipeg Transit is receiving up to 280.3 million CAD through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Programme (ICIP) to support the purchase of 90 ZEBs.
