Moving Towards a Greener Fleet

As of April 2024, 41 per cent of the MiWay bus fleet includes second generation hybrid-electric buses.

In 2019, MiWay made a commitment to transition towards a transit fleet with lower emissions. As a result, MiWay decided it would only purchase hybrid-electric buses moving forward, instead of conventional diesel buses.

This transition supports the City’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) goal of reducing corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, and 80 per cent by 2050.

With second-generation hybrid-electric buses, MiWay has reduced its diesel fuel consumption by 25 per cent per year compared to the average fuel consumption of older diesel buses.

Features of MiWay’s new hybrid-electric buses

• Theatre-style seats in the accessible seating area that flip up when not in use to offer more space and flexibility.
• USB outlets, located underneath the seats, which can be used to charge a cell phone or other mobile device.
• All-electric ‘Smart Rider’ accessible wheelchair ramp – capable of lateral kneeling and self-levelling to adjustable heights, assisting with customer safety.
• Start-stop engine technology that shuts down the engine while stopped at bus stops and automatically restarts when the brake is released – achieving up to 25 per cent fuel savings compared to a conventional diesel-powered bus.
• All electrically powered sub-systems such as power steering, HVAC, passenger door operation and air brake compressor.
• ‘Plug and play’ components that simplify the maintenance process.

Bus Garage Modifications

MiWay is also working on modifications to one of its bus garages to enable the installation of 12 overhead pantograph depot chargers. These bus garage chargers can be used to charge 15 new, 40-foot battery-electric buses in the future.

All of these efforts align with the City’s Climate Change Action Plan and our commitment to environmental sustainability as a municipal transit system.