BC Transit to build first electric charging station in Victoria
A BC Transit bus on Douglas Street in Victoria on Sept. 1, 2021. (CTV News).
BC Transit will start construction of its first electric vehicle charging station in Victoria this spring.
Construction of the charging station will begin in April and will include 10 charging dispensers and one overhead charger for high-speed charging and testing, as well as a range of power distribution equipment.
The new charging infrastructure is being set up at BC Transit's Gorge Road East facility before the region's first electric buses arrive in the summer.
BC Transit will add 10 electric buses to its fleet in the Victoria Regional Transit system this year, as part of its goal to convert its entire fleet to electric vehicles by 2040.
The region's first electric bus arrived in December, but only on a testing basis.
BC Transit says its demonstration bus is "providing valuable learning opportunities" for the company to see how electric buses operate in the city.
No traffic delays are expected to occur during construction at the Gorge Road East facility in April.
CNG BUSES
BC Transit notes that in the last quarter of 2022, 44 new buses were added to its Victoria fleet, including 36 that run on compressed natural gas (CNG).
The CNG buses, which include 15 medium duty vehicles and 21 heavy duty vehicles, replaced diesel buses that were nearing the end of their service life.
The other eight vehicles added at the end of 2022 were double decker diesel buses.
"All 44 buses are equipped with passenger USB ports, bike racks that accommodate three-inch tires, white LED destination signs and full driver doors designed to protect the health and safety of drivers and passengers," said BC Transit in a release Thursday.
BC Transit now operates 101 CNG buses in the Victoria Regional Transit System.
The 44 new buses cost a little over $34.5 million to acquire. The federal government provided $14.7 million for the buses, the province contributed $13.8 million, and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission provided $6.9 million.
Earlier this week, BC Transit also announced it would be launching a new express bus route between downtown Victoria and Langford, B.C., starting in April.
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