T3 Transit customers and stakeholders have an opportunity to travel on a zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior Charge transit bus next month as the City of Charlottetown and towns of Stratford and Cornwall partner with the public transport agency to conduct a market test and examine the feasibility of transitioning to an electric fleet.
The Xcelsior Charge transit bus, which was originally scheduled to be in Charlottetown in March, will travel routes in Cornwall on the morning of Sept. 4 and in the afternoon, will be in Stratford. On Sept. 5, the electric bus will travel along Route 1 on University Avenue. During the demonstrations, the bus will be part of the regularly scheduled routes with the standard fares applied. On Sept. 6, representatives from each of the three municipalities, staff and other stakeholders, along with media will tour the bus, learn about the results of the demo and have an opportunity to ask questions.
T3 Transit, Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall are working with New Flyer Canada ULC, North America’s largest bus manufacturer building all three zero-emission bus models (battery-electric, fuel cell-electric, and trolley-electric), on the demonstration. They will discuss the infrastructure needed to operate an electric fleet and the associated maintenance costs.
Should the feasibility test prove positive, the three municipalities, along with T3 Transit, will look for funding opportunities. It’s expected that battery-electric transit buses, which are essentially zero-emission vehicles, would significantly reduce greenhouse gas and air contaminant emissions.
For more information on T3 Transit and to access the transit schedule, click here or call 902-566-9962, and choose Option 1.