The STM is welcoming a new electric bus model

This is the first bus from an order of 147. Ten more buses are expected in the coming months, while the entire order will be delivered by 2028. The STM must first test the components of this new model by running it out of service over the next four weeks, with the possibility of an extension if teams deem it necessary. Customers may therefore see this bus operating on the streets of Montréal.

The STM is currently reassessing the pace of its transition toward electrifying its bus network in a challenging financial context. This is why, last February, the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable once again allowed public transit agencies to acquire hybrid buses and committed to revising its electrification targets. The STM considers that a mix of propulsion modes (hybrid and electric) is a proven and high-performing solution during the transition to fully electric operations, offering operational reliability and more stable operating costs.

Once the order is complete, 10% of the STM’s bus fleet will be electric.

LFSe+ Model Features

Among the noteworthy new features of this bus model is an operator’s cab with an anti-assault door. This component, designed to prevent potential physical assaults, is equipped with a glass door and a metal base.

Other new features include:

• Six batteries providing an average range of 300 km
• A quiet motor with a pedestrian warning sound for safety 
• Better-lit doorways for easier boarding and exiting
• Modified interior layout
• An audible alert when the front doors open for customers with visual impairments
• Optimized heating and air conditioning with a more evenly distributed ventilation system installed at the centre of the bus 
• 28 seats, including 21 fixed seats and 7 fold-down seats

The acquisition of these electric buses is made possible thanks to funding provided by the Government of Quebec under the Public Transit Infrastructure Funding Program.

Crédits photos: Louis-Étienne Doré