Item - 2025.TTC2.3

The Toronto Transit Commission:

1. Authorized the award of a contract for the supply of five battery-electric paratransit buses to Damera Bus Sales Canada Corporation at a total cost of $5,550,252.50 inclusive of all estimated contract costs including spare parts, special tools, contract change allowance, and HST.

The Wheel-Trans Green Bus Program’s objective is to meet the requirements outlined in the City of Toronto’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, which defines a pathway to achieve net zero Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in Toronto by 2040. This objective is further supported by the TTC’s 2024-2028 Corporate Plan’s Strategic Direction 4, Transform and Modernize for a Changing Environment through the Innovation and Sustainability Strategy, which includes actions to minimize environmental impacts and build resiliency for a climate-changed future such as TTC’s Green Fleet Program and its resultant transition to Net Zero. This requires the TTC to adopt modern technology and embed sustainable practices as we renew aging fleet and infrastructure.

This report recommends the award of a contract for the supply and delivery of five battery-electric paratransit buses to pilot these vehicles for Wheel-Trans service, at a total value of $5.55 million, inclusive of HST, to commence the TTC’s transition from gasoline to electric paratransit vehicles.

Delivery of these vehicles is planned to be completed by 2026 in line with the approved Wheel-Trans fleet plan. This will be followed by a two-year evaluation of the pilot vehicles, which will help inform, through lessons learned from the pilot program, the steady-state bulk procurement planned to commence in 2028.

With this plan, and subject to pilot results and funding, the TTC aims to have its Wheel-Trans fleet fully electrified by 2040. Staff will report back to the Board with the results of the pilot program.