The TTC reached an important milestone in its efforts to create an environmentally friendly fleet on Monday when it deployed an all-electric bus into regular service for the first time.

The vehicle, one of 60 “zero-emissions” buses the TTC is set to receive by early next year, left the agency’s Arrow Rd. garage just after 8 a.m. packed with politicians and transit officials for its inaugural ride operating on the 35 Jane route.

Among the first passengers was TTC chair Jaye Robinson, who told reporters that by 2020 Toronto’s transit agency will have the one of the largest fleets of electric buses in North America.

“The TTC is already an environmentally friendly way to travel the city, but today we’re taking it one step further,” she said.

“I am so proud that the TTC is leading the way with our new electric fleet. We all need to do our part to confront the growing challenge of climate change.”

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The TTC plans to convert its entire fleet to zero-emissions vehicles by 2040. Mayor John Tory said the initial $140-million bus purchase, which is being jointly funded by the city and the federal government, would help Toronto reach its target of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.

“This I think is proof positive of the fact that we are committed as a city and that we have a great partnership with the federal government to achieve that target,” Tory said.

Although it will be decades before the TTC has a completely green fleet, Tory defended the transit agency’s plan as ambitious and said the target had been set “after careful consideration as to the practicalities of actually replacing the entire bus fleet.”

“I think the public are understanding of the fact these things are not going to happen overnight. All they want to make sure of is that you have a goal and you’re moving forward to achieve it,” he said.

The TTC is buying the first 60 electric buses from three manufacturers and will test the vehicles in order to decide how to proceed with its next purchase. The agency plans to buy 160 of the vehicles per year starting in 2021, but those future purchases are currently unfunded.

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The bus that entered service Monday was built by Winnipeg-based New Flyer. The other two companies supplying the vehicles are California’s Proterra and Chinese manufacturer BYD.

TTC riders will be able to recognize the electric buses by the colourful green “wraps” on their exterior. There are also small differences between the electric buses and the diesel and hybrid vehicles the TTC operates, including distinct seating layouts, door systems and lighting.

But the difference passengers are most likely to notice is the new buses’ sound — the electric vehicles are up to 85 per cent quieter when idling, and 15 to 20 per cent quieter when in motion.

“Of course, we’d hope that (riders also) would get some satisfaction knowing that they’re in an electric, zero-emissions bus,” said Bem Case, the TTC’s head of vehicle programs.

While the buses are propelled by battery power, they also have on-board diesel-powered heaters that will kick in when temperatures drop below 5 C. Using the bus battery to operate the heating system would deplete its power by between 30 and 50 per cent and drastically reduce the vehicles’ range.

Case said the vehicles still meet the official designation of zero emissions because their propulsion systems are electric. Each electric bus is projected to reduce the TTC’s carbon dioxide emissions by 100 to 150 tonnes per year, compared to the agency’s diesel vehicles.

The electric buses take about three hours to charge, and have a range of up to 200 km per charge. A typical run on the 35 Jane route is about 78 km. Case said the TTC selected that line for the initial deployment because it features varying topography and passenger loads, allowing the agency to test how the bus operates under different conditions.

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Initial reviews from at least one passenger were positive. Finch Howells-Young, 9, waited at the bus stop for an hour with his mother Tania to make sure he got a seat on the inaugural electric ride.

He said the wait was worth it.

“There’s barely any sound,” he said.

“It reduces the world’s emissions and it makes it better for the environment.”

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

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