St. Albert touts green goals with three new electric buses - Action News
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Edmonton

St. Albert touts green goals with three new electric buses

The city of St. Albert is going green, both literally and esthetically, with three electric buses on routes in and around the city this week.

'Theres no noise pollution, theres no air pollution,' says St. Albert transit director

It's estimated the long-distance electric buses can travel between 250 and 280 kilometres on a single charge. (City of St. Albert)

The city of St. Albert is going green both literally and esthetically with three electric buses on routes in and around the city this week.

"They're virtually silent," Wes Brodhead, chair of the Capital Region Board transit committee and a St. Albert city councillor, said Tuesday. "This, as opposed to the diesel buses and the roar that accompanies them as they drive down the street."

You may not hear them coming but you'll definitely see them.

The 35-foot electric buses are painted bright green to represent the city's goalofadopting sustainable transportation.

"There's no noise pollution, there's no air pollution, and it just kind of fit with the whole theme of the city," said St. Albert Transit director KevinBamber.

The conversation around the conference was not ifbut whenthe industry will fully embrace electrification,- Wes Brodhead,St. Albert citycouncillor

The buses cost about $970,000 each. Adding in the required infrastructure, including charging stations, the project cost a total of $3.1 million, with two-thirds of the funding coming from the provincial government'sGreen Transit Incentives Program.

The battery-powered buses are estimated to go between 250 and 280 kilometres on a single four- to five-hour charge.

"That would mean any of the routes that we currently have through St. Albert or into Edmonton, an electric bus could do the morning route, come back, park in the afternoon and go back out and do the afternoon route without a charge," Bamber said.
St. Albert councillor Wes Brodhead envisions having a full fleet of 60 electric buses in years to come. (Supplied)

Brodhead went to an international transit conference in Montreal, where he said manufacturers presented various electric bus designs.

"The conversation around the conference was not ifbut when the industry will fully embrace electrification," Brodhead said.

The vehicles were built in California by BYD Ltd., one of only two companies making the long-endurance electric buses.

The city has ordered four more of the buses and hopes to be running all sevenby the end of the year.

Eventually, Brodhead envisions having a full fleet of 60 electric buses in St. Albert.

Edmonton is expected to operate as many as 40 electric buses but city staff are stillin the planning stages.