Bus network electrification

Being a leader in sustainable mobility

As a public transit provider, the STM is a natural ally in the fight against climate change. Electrifying our bus network is in line with our commitment to do even more and is an integral part of our 2030 Strategic Organizational Plan (2030 SOP - in french only).

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Quick updates

On the road to electrification!

We’ve received the first Pre-Series 1 electric bus, a 40-foot prototype on loan from our supplier Nova Bus.

Our teams have been testing the bus’s performance since January to ensure it meets our technical needs and safety requirements. Nothing is left to chance.

We’ve conducted winter road tests without passengers on board. Such tests allow us to assess such things as battery autonomy, bus stability, braking components and the heating system in simulated real-life situations.

We also went to a test track to simulate other driving situations that are impossible to recreate on the streets of Montréal. 

Our goal with this Pre-Series bus is to assess its performance before the new buses arrive, so that when the time comes, you can simply hop on board and reach your destination without a hitch!

Read the story by TVA journalist Andy St-André, Les nouveaux autobus électriques de la STM soumis à des essais routiers rigoureux (The STM’s new electric buses undergo rigorous road tests), for an exclusive look at the tests we ran on the test track with the Nova Bus prototype.

Plugged into the future

The transition to a fully electric network continues!

By choosing electric buses instead of hybrid ones, we estimate that we’ll reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of our bus network by more than 80% by 2040.

Our goal: only acquire 100% electric buses starting in 2025.

The many advantages of electrifying public transit

For our customers and the public

  • Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned buses
  • Improved quality of life in our neighbourhoods thanks to quieter, cleaner, greener buses

For the environment

  • A reduction in air pollution and GHG emissions
  • A reduction in our dependence on oil

For the economy

  • Support for Quebec companies
  • Use of clean (non-polluting) energy produced in Quebec

2010: We commit to acquiring only electric buses by 2025

Since 2014: We conduct studies and pilot projects to benefit from the latest technological advances

2016: We deploy 200 hybrid buses across the network

2017: We commission the first three fast-charging electric buses

2019: We commission the first long-range (slow-charging) electric buses

2021

  • Bus line 36 Monk becomes the first transit line in Canada served entirely by electric buses
  • We upgrade the Stinson bus garage so that it can service and charge electric buses

2022: We add 30 long-range electric buses to our network

2023: We begin preparing our bus garages for the next fleet of electric buses, which we’ll receive starting in 2025

2024: In January and February, we test a Pre-Series bus, a 40-foot prototype, with no passengers on board, to make sure it meets our needs

Did you know? 44.4% of the buses in our fleet are either hybrid or electric.

En route to a 100% electric network

A few years ago, we started making the shift toward hybrid technology by acquiring buses that emit 30% fewer greenhouse gases than diesel buses. At the same time, we ran tests to find the most suitable configurations and charging options for electric buses in order to best meet the full range of public transit needs.

Electric buses

Our bus fleet consists of 42 electric vehicles of different types: fast-charging, regular long-range, midibuses and minibuses.

Learn more Learn more about electric buses

Hybrid buses

We currently have more than 837 hybrid buses in service. Our goal is to replace these hybrid buses as they reach the end of their useful life to achieve a fully electric network by 2040.

Learn more about hybrid buses

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