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(Photo: thelionelectric.com)

Local bus operator aims to reduce emissions with 10 new electric buses

Local school and charter bus operator HammondBus (formerly known as Hammond Transportation) is going electric, announcing the purchase order for 10 all-electric LionC school buses from Lion Electric, with deliveries in 2023, and 2024.

The purchase order is conditional upon the satisfactory grant of non-repayable contributions to HammondBus.com under Infrastructure Canada’s Zero-Emission Transit Fund (“ZETF”), for which HammondBus has filed a formal application. Under the ZETF program, the Government of Canada aims to invest $2.75 billion over five years to support public transit and school bus operators in the transition to electrification.

Hammond Transportation is one of Ontario’s premier family-owned school bus, charter bus and motor coach operators serving the unique transportation needs of Muskoka, Parry Sound, Simcoe County, Haliburton and Algonquin since 1944. Hammond began providing school bus service in Muskoka in 1950 and now operates 60 school bus routes in the area for Trillium Lakelands District School Board, and a further 40 routes in Parry Sound for Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Services.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing a cleaner riding environment for students and protecting our environment has long been a focus of the company, states a media release. “Living in such a beautiful region, we feel that it is important to protect our environment,” said HammondBus CEO Greg Hammond. “We see electric buses as the next step in environmentally friendly transportation and we are excited to be taking that step.”

HammondBus has long been committed to helping create a sustainable tomorrow. They were one of only two Canadian motor coach operators in the Green Coach Certification Program and have also supported the Muskoka Envirocredits Program. As one of the first Ontario bus operators to incorporate propane and now electric vehicles into their fleet.

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3 Comments

  1. Jane McNamara says:

    I LOVE Oil + Gas!
    There are very limited choices for transportation fuel. Electricity will NOT work for Jets, Trains, Planes and electric vehicles (cars, trucks) are a tiny share of the market and it’s going to be a long time before they take a meaningful share of the market.

    Liberal Gov’t is pushing “E-Buses” and offering (OUR tax dollars) incentives (see the ZETF Application Fund costing TAX payers $2.75Billion) and the list for OUR tax dollars goes on and on$$$$

    Plus Lithium-ion battery mining and production were determined to be worse for the climate than the production of fossil fuel vehicle batteries … Wall Street Journal 2022

    I LOVE water!
    Did you know it takes 500,000 gallons of water (the amount used to produce one tonne of lithium) and that amount of delicious water can provide for 3,500 people for one year.

    Canadian Lion Electric’s battery pack factory is expected to begin operations in early 2023, producing battery packs and modules made from lithium-ion cells.

    Where are lithium-ion cells produced? China! China produces three-quarters of the world’s lithium ion batteries. China has ties to coercive labor (FORCED) and secret detention camps of the Muslim Uyghurs (CBC May 24 2022).

    Canada’s James Bay Coast (Quebec) has lithium deposits (Whabouchi Mine) and Sayona (Piedmont Lithium) Mining Ltd has 60% of that mining claim. The environmental impact IS horrendous!

    Lithium demand in North America continues to accelerate on the back of increased EV investments by U.S. automakers such as Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in Ontario, Canada, together with planned battery investments in Quebec by BritishVolt, Lion Electric and StromVolt.

    If that isn’t confusing … Try to wrap your head around The Canadian FN Chinuchi Agreement + Piedmont Lithium (Tesla Musk China) + Sayona Mining Investors + Investor Max Vidricaire (StromVolt) to understand Stromcore … to understand Lion Electric … Our Canadian TAX dollars hard at work folks!

    However, new Canadian pipelines will help ensure Alberta Canada producers aren’t forced to sell their (our) product at a discount and that’s a “win-win” for all of us heavy burdened TAX payers!

    EV is not the ONLY answer … TAXPAYER beware!

  2. Arleigh Luckett says:

    Thank you HammondBus for leading the way to a healthier future. You will show what IS possible and others will follow.

  3. Sue McKenzie says:

    Excellent. Quiet. GHG emission-free. No toxic fumes breathed by the kids. The best part is that Lion Electric is a Canadian company that has been supplying electric buses to many other countries for several years.
    Next transition needs to be Muskoka District and Muskoka municipalities to electric vehicles. Why not this year?