Government of Canada and Quebec Announce the Largest Electric Buses Project in North America

May 10, 2023

May 10, 2023 -- This week, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility; and Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks and Minister responsible for the Laurentides Region announced investments of over $780 million from the Government of Canada and over $1.1 billion from the Government of Quebec to support the purchase of 1,229 electric buses and enhance Quebec’s network of electric public transit.

This financial support, which is unparalleled in Canada, makes it possible to carry out the largest electric buses acquisition project in North America.

This funding will allow ten public transportation organizations (PTO) to begin the massive conversion of their bus fleets to become 100% electric, in line with Quebec’s Plan for a Green Economy (PEV 2030) and Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan. This investment also delivers on the federal government's commitment to help purchase 5,000 zero emission buses over the next five years. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is the representative for the contract on behalf of the nine other transit agencies and is responsible for the procurement of the buses.

In order to maximize the potential for local economic benefits, the level of Canadian content required in this call for tenders was set at 25% and the final assembly must be done in Canada, in accordance with the applicable trade agreements to which Québec subscribes. Following a public call for tenders issued in April 2022, Nova Bus, a company headquartered in Saint-Eustache, was awarded the contract to manufacture these buses. All the buses covered by this contract will be produced and assembled in Nova Bus' Quebec plant, which will help generate significant economic benefits for Quebec and Canada.

'Across Quebec, citizens rely on public transit to get where they need to be each day,' said The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. 'With today’s $780 million investment, our government is enhancing the electric public transit network across the province. We will continue to partner with the Government of Quebec to deliver modern and reliable infrastructure that meets the needs of our communities today and into the future.”

The acquisition of these buses follows the announcement made by Premier François Legault at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was held in Glasgow in November 2021. A sum of $5 billion was announced for the installation of 2,148 buses on our roads by 2030.

The Government of Quebec’s Green Economy Plan (PEV) sets the following targets:

Beginning in 2025, all new vehicles acquired by public transit agencies and receiving government subsidies must be electric vehicles.
By 2030, it is also planned to electrify:
- 55% of city buses;
- 65% of school buses;
- 35% (2 million) light electric vehicles on Quebec roads;
- 40% of cabs;
- 100% of the government's cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and minivans and 25% of its trucks.

_{Source: Infrastructure Canada}

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