Still too many electric buses are unused due to their low autonomy, especially in the school environment. One of the main suppliers, Lion Électrique, will however soon deliver a new generation of vehicles with a range of 250 kilometers. In the urban sector, Nova Bus already reaches 300 kilometers.
“In Joliette, we have two buses that are parked and cannot get out. With a journey of 100 kilometers there and back, the range is not yet sufficient. And that’s just an example,” says the president of the School Transportation Sector at the Federation of Public Service Employees (FEESP-CSN), Josée Dubé.
Typically, an electric school bus currently has a range of 150 kilometers, a figure that is even lower on cold days in winter. “For short distances, it works, but again, it takes a hot day for everything to work well. The technology is really not there yet, especially for remote areas,” notes Mme Dube.
The CEO of the Bus Transport Federation (FTA), Luc Lafrance, also agrees. “When you arrive far from major centers, the circuits are very long and the garage for recharging is often very far away. In terms of reliability, therefore, it is very unstable for several carriers,” he admits.
In government, the electrification of school transport nevertheless constitutes “a key sector of intervention to reduce GHG emissions from the transport sector, with a reduction potential representing nearly 18 tonnes of CO equivalent2 annually by bus,” we read on the website of the Ministry of Transport. As of March 2023, 766 electric buses were registered for school transportation, or 6.6% of the school bus fleet in circulation.
On the verge of a turning point?
At Lion Electric, which builds the majority of electric school buses in circulation, we say that the situation is about to change. “The new generation of Lion school buses, whose delivery to customers will begin shortly, will have Lion batteries, and these vehicles will have a range of up to 250 kilometers,” says spokesperson Marie-Ève Labranche. by email.
A sign that technology continues to evolve, the company’s school buses had a range of 100 kilometers in 2016. “Over time, vehicles will have greater range. We must continue to focus on research and development to maximize the full potential of vehicles,” says M.me Branch.
She also recalls that new generations of charging stations will also give “more flexibility to customers by offering faster recharges”, a technology which is also “constantly evolving”.
In addition to the weather, Lion Électrique points out that driving style and speed can influence the range of the bus. Training is also offered to drivers “in order to improve their performance related to autonomy, which can have a significant impact”, continues the public relations specialist.
However, even with high-performance vehicles, the challenge of training will persist, judges Luc Lafrance. “Companies can’t necessarily repair electric buses in their garage, as they don’t have the expertise. They then have to wait until after Lion Électrique, which causes delays. There are many programs underway to increase the number of electromechanics in training, but let’s say that there is still a long way to go,” he notes.
More than 300 kilometers to Quebec
In January, the Capital Transport Network (RTC) announced that three Nova Bus electric buses under evaluation had shown a range of “around 300 kilometers per vehicle”. In some cases, 370 kilometers of autonomy were even noted, the company noted.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Test phases with Nova Bus are currently taking place in Montreal and Sherbrooke.
At that time, the average vehicle charging time was estimated at around three hours. The regenerative braking system allowed “to recover almost a quarter of the energy in use”, according to the transport network. “Electrification, which adds a significant financial burden to public transport companies, must not be to the detriment of the service offering,” however warned the president of the RTC, Maude Mercier Larouche.
Test phases are also currently taking place in Montreal and Sherbrooke, in particular. Nova Bus won a 2.2 billion contract in April to supply 1,230 electric urban buses in the province.
“In Quebec, we are going to start a year of theoretical tests in service, with passengers. Otherwise, we are in the process of making pre-series with the STM [Société de transport de Montréal], with Sherbrooke and several other participating companies, in anticipation of the large order of 1,230 buses. From 2025, 2026 and 2027 there will be mass production,” explains the head of public and legal affairs at Nova Bus, Christos Kritsidimas.