In this series of articles, we'll be demystifying the main stages of a school bus fleet electrification project, using the Transporteur+ guide. The aim of this guide is to provide easy, direct access to resources, and to clarify the stages, issues, conditions and facilitating measures for a successful transition to electrification.
Did you know that government subsidies are available to cover almost a third of the cost of purchasing electric buses? A number of grants are also available to cover 75% of the cost of installing charging stations and the studies required for their implementation. In fact, the Infrastructure Bank of Canada, in partnership with the Fédération des transporteurs par autobus (FTA), offers financing at a very low interest rate, which is only repaid if savings are achieved with the implementation of electric buses.
The Transporteur+ guide, developed by Propulsion Québec, is intended as a support tool to help you with your electrification project. It's important to remember that you're not alone: many experts are ready to advise, guide and support you, while adapting to the constraints of each operator. What's more, manufacturers are developing a range of technical support services for every stage of implementation.
Electric school buses are on the increase in North America, but only two manufacturers are currently eligible for Quebec subsidies.
Many manufacturers of Level 2 charging stations are available and eligible for subsidies.
See the guide for full detailsThere are a number of options available to Quebec school bus operators to help finance the adoption of electric vehicles.
The Programme d'électrification du transport scolaire du Québec offers transport operators two types of subsidy: one for vehicles and the other for charging stations. The basic financial assistance is $150,000 per electric school bus, and $175,000 for school buses with a battery capacity of 155 kWh or more, for 2023-2024. It is also possible to apply for financial assistance for charging infrastructure before ordering electric buses, in order to speed up planning and deployment of charging stations by transport operators. Two bus manufacturers are eligible for this subsidy: Girardin Blue Bird and Lion Électrique. The subsidy is paid directly to the bus supplier, so that the carrier does not pay the full bill, but only the amount reduced by the subsidy.
For charging stations, the subsidy amounts to 75% of acquisition and installation costs, up to a maximum of $50,000 per electric school bus. To access this subsidy, an expert report by a qualified electrician and an engineer who is a member of his or her professional order is required.
Another option for financing studies, plans and specifications for the integration of new technologies is the Écoleader fund. This fund supports "concrete measures such as the production of diagnoses and studies, the development of action plans and the implementation of support measures". A 75% subsidy is available for studies and action plans, up to a maximum of $60,000.
For more information, seeWeb page and theguide Carrier+.
This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Quebec government, the Fondation Familiale Trottier, the Fonds Climat du Grand Montréal and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. Propulsion Québec would also like to thank L'Accélérateur de transition and the team at WSP Canada for their essential contributions, as well as all the experts we met during the preparation of this guide.
