The Société de transport de Laval (STL) and Société de transport de Montréal (STM) mass transit authorities have purchased 40 all-electric, 40 feet, slow-charging buses.

Mass transit users are expected to be riding in these all-electric buses by 2020. The purchase is the biggest electric bus order to date in Canada. The contract to build the buses, for a total $43.2 million, was awarded to New Flyer Industries Canada ULC. The company expects to begin the first phase of testing by spring 2019.

The STM and STL explained that they recently commissioned a study to find the most advantageous solutions in the field of mass transit electrification. The findings of the study lead to their choice of slow-charging technology.

Montreal, which currently deploys four electric buses on its routes, will be adding an additional 30 buses through this project. As for Laval, it is acquiring the remanding 10 electric buses.

The initiative is benefitting from a Quebec-Government subsidy.