The Lion Electric Company, a manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, has received a conditional purchase order for 1,000 all-electric LionC school buses from Student Transportation of Canada (STC).
The purchase order is conditional upon the satisfactory grant of non-repayable contributions to STC under Infrastructure Canada’s Zero-Emission Transit Fund (ZETF), for which STC has filed a formal application. Under the ZETF program, the Government of Canada aims to invest $2.75 billion over five years to support public transit and school bus operators in the transition to electrification.
“We applaud STC for its leadership and vision to accelerate the deployment of all-electric school buses in Canada, and we thank them for trusting Lion with such an important transition” says Marc Bedard, CEO and founder of Lion Electric. “This large-scale deployment would position Canada as a clear leader in the electrification of school transportation, in great part due to innovative programs like the ZETF.”
Deliveries would begin in 2022 and occur through the first half of 2026. These electric buses would replace existing diesel vehicles within STC’s Canadian fleet. Lion estimates that the deployment of 1,000 all-electric school buses would help eliminate approximately 23,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
“We are pleased to support electric school bus deployment in Canada. The ZETF enables school bus electrification to move closer to reality, with students as the true beneficiaries,” comments Chris Harwood, STA’s president.
“As the controlling shareholder of Student Transportation, we are delighted to support the company in its green shift, with the deployment of a fleet that would make it the largest operator of zero-emission school busses in North America,” states Emmanuel Jaclot, executive vice president and head of infrastructure at CDPQ.
“Driving the next generation to their place of learning in electric transport is a good illustration of our vision for a more sustainable future,” Jaclot adds. “This ambitious program, carried out thanks to Lion, the Quebec leader in electric transport, will directly contribute to our commitment to reduce the carbon intensity of our portfolio by 60 percent by 2030.”
