The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), a non-profit organization that designs and launches smart mobility technology and commercialization projects, has created CUTZEB, the Canadian Urban Transit Zero Emissions Bus joint procurement initiative.
This technology-oriented organization has the sole aim of supporting Canadian public transit agencies in the procurement of turnkey zero-emission transit technologies, including battery and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses and their respective charging and hydrogen fueling systems. CUTZEB will provide a comprehensive and cost-effective process for joint procurements by bringing together small to mid-sized transit agencies across Canada.
“We knew that transit agencies wanting to electrify their fleets didn’t just want buses or chargers, but turnkey solutions – the buses, the chargers, the installation, the maintenance and everything in between. They wanted all of that in a package that could be delivered by a consortium, which is where the idea for CUTZEB emerged,” says Josipa Petrunic, president and CEO of CUTRIC and CUTZEB.
“Now, with CUTRIC and CUTZEB working synergistically, we can ensure there is comprehensive support behind transit agencies and municipalities to undertaking zero emission bus electrification and planning studies, and therefore getting one step close to reaching zero-emission fleet goals.”
CUTZEB is governed by a board of directors composed of representatives of the nation’s leaders in zero-emission bus procurements and deployments, including the City of Guelph (and Guelph Transit, Ontario), represented by Chris Hill; Edmonton Transit (Edmonton, Alberta), represented by Eddie Robar; TransLink (Metro Vancouver, British Columbia), represented by Ralf Nielsen; and Grand River Transit (Waterloo, Ontario), led by Blair Allen.
