A new zero-emission OC Transpo bus is now on the road.
The transit service is in the process of converting its bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2036.
Several buses were scheduled to arrive in Ottawa in the fall of 2024, but were delayed to early 2025. OC Transpo says the first of 22 new buses expected to arrive before the spring is now in operation.
“The first zero-emission bus (ZEB) from our latest order is now in service. Twenty-one more New Flyer XE40 ZEBs will also join our fleet throughout Q1 as they pass inspection and testing,” OC Transpo says on its website.
Transit commission was told last fall that New Flyer informed the City of a one- to two-month production delay impacting 16 of the 22 buses originally scheduled for Q4 2024, and that all 22 buses would arrive in the first quarter of the new year.
Four Nova buses that were also expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2024 have also been delayed to the first quarter of 2025, with more pushed back into 2026.
The new bus, and the 21 others currently undergoing inspection, come with new white exterior screens that display the route name and number, and enhanced interior screens with more information about the trip, including the estimated time it will take to reach upcoming stops.
The screens on the inside of Ottawa’s new zero-emission buses will display more travel information for riders. (OC Transpo/octranspo.com)
OC Transpo says each zero-emission bus saves about 25,000 litres of fuel every year.
The new buses are 40 feet long. A plan to also purchase 60-foot articulated zero-emission buses was put on hold because of a lack of availability, so the city will only be purchasing 40-foot buses.
The city expects 350 zero-emission buses to be delivered by September 2027.