The STM has no alternative but to abandon its plan for acquiring mid-size electric buses

News

The STM confirms it has cancelled its plan to purchase seven electric “midibuses” from DesignLine, as that supplier has declared bankruptcy. Indeed, after it filed for bankruptcy protection in an American court last August, under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, DesignLine sold off its assets on October 28, 2013. The STM had yet to take delivery of a midibus and, under the terms of the contract, no money had been paid out to DesignLine.

The STM confirms it has cancelled its plan to purchase seven electric “midibuses” from DesignLine, as that supplier has declared bankruptcy. Indeed, after it filed for bankruptcy protection in an American court last August, under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, DesignLine sold off its assets on October 28, 2013. The STM had yet to take delivery of a midibus and, under the terms of the contract, no money had been paid out to DesignLine.

Awarded to DesignLine in May 2012 following a public call for tenders in fall 2011, the contract for the acquisition of seven mid-size electric buses was valued at $5.9 M, including taxes. At 9.28 metres in length and with the capacity to transport 45 people in passenger service, the first such midibus was slated to run in the Old Montréal / Old Port district by mid-2013.

As outlined in its 2020 Strategic Plan, the STM intends to procure electric vehicles only as of 2025 (since 1966, the métro has been 100% powered by electricity), thereby helping to reach the objectives for reductions in GHG emissions set by the Québec government (25%) and the City of Montréal (30%).  Carrying out STM’s plan for electrification and related projects will have major impacts, such as:    

  • Zero GHG emissions
  • Silent-running vehicles
  • Increased comfort through smoother driving
  • Eco-friendly air conditioning

Showcase projects
Showcase projects serve to test new technologies in our environment and to assess their effects with regards to service planning and operating conditions (service speed, distance between rapid charges, energy requirements, all-weather autonomy, impact on operating costs, preparing employees for transition, etc.). It should be noted that several projects are already on the drawing board, namely the establishment of a network of trolleybus-inspired “electrobuses” featuring rapid recharging technology, the only proven type of electric bus available today that meets our performance standards, the first of which would be deployed in the Saint-Michel corridor by 2017.