With members deeming electric buses too expensive and a 2035 deadline to fully electrify the city’s GOVA Transit fleet unrealistic, a committee of city council requested alternatives.
In a motion tabled by Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh, which was unanimously approved at last week’s community and emergency services committee, staff have been asked to draft a report on “potential alternatives to reduce transit greenhouse gas emissions.”
Although the motion still needs to be ratified by city council as a whole at Tuesday's meeting, last week's unanimous support points to a likelihood it will pass.
The motion came in response to a report which outlined the projected financial impacts behind going all-electric by 2035.
Within a study period of 2023-50, the net additional cost (using 2023 numbers) associated with shifting from diesel to battery-electric buses across the 59-vehicle fleet, is $89.1 million.
Plus, city Transit Services acting director Laura Gilbert told the committee, the upfront costs would be greater, “as the long-term fuel savings will not yet be realized.”
Electricity costs less than diesel, resulting in $19 million in fuel savings during the study period (some diesel would still be used to heat the buses, all of which factored into the $89.1-million estimate).
Then, there are concerns about how battery-electric buses will hold up to Northern Ontario’s winter temperatures, with Gilbert’s report flagging the City of Edmonton’s experience as a cautionary tale.
“The whole purpose of this is to reduce our carbon footprint, to reduce our greenhouse gases, and I’d like us to explore alternatives to this particular proposal of electrification of our fleet,” McIntosh said.
“What I’d like to see us explore is improving our transit, investing in our transit further to further expand it, make it more efficient, make it more effective, make it more inviting for people to use.
“GOVA is really successful and we’re seeing increased ridership, and with increased ridership means sometimes the buses are full, and maybe we need to invest in more buses, get more people out of their cars.”
An estimated 6.2-million rides were delivered by GOVA Transit in 2024, which marked a record-setting year.
The risks and costs associated with going all-electric are “huge,” McIntosh said. “I know that was the intent when the CEEP was developed, but we know more now.”
In 2019, a unanimous city council voted to declare a climate emergency, which was backed up by their subsequent adoption of the Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP).
This plan sets a path toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and includes a shift toward an all-electric municipal fleet by 2035, including buses.
With a few years having passed since that time, Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent noted that there aren’t a lot of municipalities taking on electric buses due to the risk, particularly in the north.
“It is absolutely cost-prohibitive and very risky,” Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin said. “I think an alternative is something we should look at, and maybe take a look at our CEEP goals. They may have been set a little too high.”
The city is taking part in a pilot program in which they’re equipping one existing diesel bus with a HYGN unit, which converts diesel engines into hydrogen hybrids. The unit cost approximately $10,000, and it’s advertised as knocking down fuel costs by 20 per cent.
The results of this pilot project are to be included in a report to city council alongside other alternatives to reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the city’s GOVA Transit fleet.
The report, including "feasibility, cost and potential benefits of these alternatives,” is to be presented to the community and emergency services committee of city council in September 2026.
During last week’s meeting, Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre capped the discussion on re-evaluating a CEEP goal by speaking directly to members of the public who might be listening.
“We are still looking at our CEEP goals, we are still going to achieve our decrease in greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “We are looking at different ways to be able to do it so that it’s financially viable as well.
“Just because we change the path doesn’t mean we're stopping what we’re doing.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
