Skip to main content

Montreal to become city of electro-mobility

Volvo Group's North American subsidiary, Nova Bus, and Canada’s Societe de Transport de Montreal (STM), are to partner on an electrification project for the public transit system of Montreal. A memorandum of understanding signed by both companies includes the testing of three Nova LFSe electric buses and two charging stations in Montreal. The goal is to have the noiseless and emission-free buses operational for demonstration in the third quarter of 2015 and in regular traffic for three years, beginning
November 25, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
609 Volvo Group's North American subsidiary, Nova Bus, and Canada’s Societe de Transport de Montreal (STM), are to partner on an electrification project for the public transit system of Montreal.

A memorandum of understanding signed by both companies includes the testing of three Nova LFSe electric buses and two charging stations in Montreal. The goal is to have the noiseless and emission-free buses operational for demonstration in the third quarter of 2015 and in regular traffic for three years, beginning in 2016. The three fully electric buses will be used in city operations in Montreal and charge rapidly at bus terminals. The energy storage system used in the vehicles is leveraging on the extensive Volvo Group knowledge and technology.

Montreal will be the first city in North America to take part in the Volvo Group City Mobility program. This program brings together key players to implement sustainable and integrated innovative pilot projects. The City Mobility program includes new technologies for improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions, developed by Volvo, such as hybrid and electric vehicles.

This strategic partnership aims to make Montreal a leading city with innovative solutions for electric transit. It is in line with the Government of Quebec's Transportation Electrification Strategy for 2020 to significantly lessen its ecological print and the City of Montreal's target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in 2020, compared to 1990 levels.

"We are proud to strengthen our partnership with Montreal and welcome the efforts of the Government of Quebec for the electrification of transit in Montreal," said CEO and president of Volvo Group, Olof Persson. "We have developed the city mobility program to work with governments and city authorities around the world to solve the urban transportation challenges and offer silent, emission-free and safe solutions."

Michel Labrecque, Chairman of the STM board of directors, commented: "The STM strives to become the best public transit authority in the world in its category. Our active participation in this type of demonstration project enables us to test new technologies in real operating conditions and to assess their impact on planning, operations, maintenance, and above all, the improvement of customer service. This is also our way of contributing to the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of the Government of Quebec and the City of Montreal."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Telvent relocates and takes a global stance on ITS
    March 12, 2012
    Telvent's Manuel Sanchez Ortega, on relocating the company's headquarters to the US and how that fits in the international scheme of things. The change-of-address cards are in the post; Manuel Sanchez Ortega has just moved homes. The domestic upheaval of Telvent's Chairman and Chief Executive comes as a result of the decision to relocate many of the company's headquarter functions from Madrid to Rockville, Maryland in the US. Viewed in the context of its significant recent acquisitions in North America - am
  • Promoting cycling is the solution to congestion and pollution
    August 20, 2015
    Cycling offers health, air quality and road space/parking benefits, promoting governments and the EU to look at tax and technology initiatives. David Crawford reports. One way to improve urban air quality is to make green alternatives to car use financially attractive. Incentivising employees to switch their travel-to-work mode to using their own bikes could increase cycling’s modal share of commuting travel by 50%, a recent French research project suggests. The country’s government already subsidises pu
  • Veolia Transdev and IBM collaborate to improve urban transport in cities
    June 27, 2012
    Veolia Transdev and IBM today announced that together they are developing a smarter mobility solution designed to help cities alleviate road congestion, optimise transportation infrastructures and improve the urban traveller experience. The first application of the smarter mobility solution is being piloted in the city of Lyon, France, which is the second largest metropolitan area in the country outside of Paris, as part of the city’s Optimod project. Optimod'Lyon will test and validate new services to impr
  • ITS World Congress looks to new horizons in Montréal
    March 29, 2017
    ITS World Congress 2017 will highlight transformational technologies, integrated mobility and smart cities. “Today’s global transportation industry is at a transformational tipping point,” says Regina Hopper, president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America).