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City of Winnipeg

Winnipeg Transit

Transition to Zero-Emission

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Electrifying Winnipeg Transit’s fleet

We have joined other North American cities in a new vision for sustainable transportation. This vision is possible thanks to advances in battery-electric bus technology.

We built the Transition to Zero-Emission Bus Program on a successful electric bus demonstration in 2012. From 2014-18, we partnered with New Flyer to operate electric buses on Route 20 Watt-Academy. This provided key insights into the construction, operation, and maintenance of battery-electric buses.

In 2015-16, a task force determined more information was needed to understand how to transition to an electric fleet. This included what changes would be needed for:

  • Planning
  • Operation
  • Maintenance

The Government of Canada, Province of Manitoba, and City of Winnipeg invested $280.3M in the Transition to Zero-Emission Bus Program through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program in 2022. We used those funds to buy:

  • 90 zero-emission buses (ZEBs)
  • Charging infrastructure
  • 85 diesel buses

Zero-Emission Bus

We ordered our first ZEBs from New Flyer in January 2023. We received that mixed fleet of 16 ZEBs in 2025. The initial fleet consisted of:

  • Four 40-foot and four 60-foot fuel-cell battery-electric buses
  • Four 40-foot and four 60-foot battery-electric buses

Fuel-cell battery-electric buses recharge with hydrogen. They can drive for up to 24 hours. Battery-electric buses recharge by connecting to a charger. They can drive for 10 to 15 hours.

We also made history in August 2025 when our first 60-foot ZEB went into limited service. Winnipeg became the first Canadian city with 60-foot battery-electric buses in its fleet.

60-foot zero-emission bus

Every bus from our initial order will complete in- and out-of-service testing. We will look at a variety of factors, including:

  • Battery health
  • Energy consumption
  • Operating costs

Testing will also establish which zero-emission technology is most effective in Winnipeg's climate. All information gathered will determine future steps in electrification.

A second order of ZEBs – 24 in total – will arrive in early 2026.

Project Timeline

zero-emission-program-timeline-2022-t0-2027