Québec’s Ministry of Natural Resources has awarded Lion Bus Inc. $675,000 (Canadian) for a project to develop an all-electric school bus. The new bus will be based on the 72-seat Class C bus already built by Lion Bus, which features a body made largely of composite materials.

With the help of three Québec-based partners – TM4, B3CG Interconnect and the National Advanced Transportation Center – Lion Bus plans to develop a powertrain that delivers a range of about 90 km. Lion Bus estimates the market potential for the new bus could be as much as 250 units annually in 2018.

The bus project is only the beginning – the provincial government recently announced a $516-million ($492-million US) Transportation Electrification Strategy, which aims to put some 12,500 EVs on Québec’s roads by 2017. The plan includes incentives for individuals and businesses, electrification of government fleet vehicles, and the deployment of 5,000 public charging stations.

“Our government wants to make Québec a world leader in the electrification of transportation,” said Québec Premier Pauline Marois. “This project is a milestone in the economic development of Québec. It’s about growing our economy by using less oil and more electricity. Québec has the unique advantage of being able to count on clean, renewable and relatively inexpensive energy.

Source: Government of Québec via Green Car Congress