OTTAWA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian government on Monday announced its first major acquisition of more than 1,000 electric buses to enhance the network of electric public transit in the eastern province of Quebec.
According to a news release issued by Infrastructure Canada, the federal government and the Quebec provincial government will invest over 780 million Canadian dollars (585 million U.S. dollars) and over 1.1 billion Canadian dollars (825 million U.S. dollars) respectively to support the purchase of 1,229 electric buses for Quebec's network of electric public transit.
The financial support is unparalleled in Canada, and makes it possible to carry out the largest electric buses project in North America, the release said.
The funding will allow 10 public transportation organizations in Quebec to begin the massive conversion of their bus fleets to become 100 percent electric. The investment also delivers on the federal government's commitment to help purchase 5,000 zero emission buses over the next five years, the release said.
In order to maximize the potential for local economic benefits, the level of Canadian content required in this call for tenders was set at 25 percent and the final assembly must be done in Canada, according to the release.
The buses will be delivered by 2027.
According to Quebec's Green Economy Plan, beginning in 2025, all new vehicles acquired by public transit agencies and receiving government subsidies must be electric vehicles. ■