TransLink is set to expand its battery-electric bus fleet in Metro Vancouver following approval from the Board of Directors.
The approved funding package will support the purchase of over 100 new vehicles, the development of charging infrastructure, and continued trials of new technologies.
The expansion forms part of a 479 million CAD investment allocated by the Metro Vancouver Regional District, drawing from the federal Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF). The fund is administered by the Union of BC Municipalities and is used collectively by member jurisdictions to support large-scale transit projects across the region.
TransLink’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Quinn, said:TransLink is grateful for this investment in our battery-electric bus fleet, which will allow us to improve service for our customers. We are now set up to replace aging diesel buses with a diversified fleet that will serve our customers efficiently and sustainably.
The investment includes:
- Procurement of 102 battery-electric buses to replace existing diesel-powered vehicles
- Installation of 64 new bus chargers and facility upgrades at the Port Coquitlam Transit Centre
- A pilot project involving a 60-foot electric trolley bus equipped with in-motion charging capability.
TransLink’s current fleet includes 19 battery-electric buses, with an additional 57 Nova LFSe+ battery-electric buses already on order. There are also 10 on-route overhead chargers already installed in the network.
The new funding will support a gradual increase in battery-electric bus numbers, contributing towards a planned fleet size of 178 electric buses by 2030.
