Potential order for 1,000 electric LionC school buses in Canada
The Lion Electric Company has received a conditional purchase order for 1,000 all-electric LionC school buses from Student Transportation of Canada, a subsidiary of Student Transportation of America. The order is conditional on STC receiving grant funding through Infrastructure Canada’s Zero-Emission Transit Fund. Under the ZETF program, the Canadian Government aims to invest $2.75billion over five years to support public transit and school bus operators in the transition to electrification.
If confirmed, the purchase order would allow STC to become the largest operator of zero-emission school buses in North America. Deliveries would begin in 2022 and run through to 2026. The electric buses would replace existing diesel vehicles within STC’s Canadian fleet.
Lion, whose controlling shareholder is Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, estimates that the deployment of 1,000 electric school buses would help eliminate approximately 23,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
“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.“
Chris Harwood, president, Student Transportation of Canada, adds: ”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. There is still much more work to be done, but STC recognises that as global stewards we must act to operate sustainably. Electrification is a huge step toward improving the environment for our students and the communities we serve.”