Canada / USA - Transit bus manufacturer, Nova Bus Corporation of Saint-Eustache, Québec (a member of the Volvo Group), has won a contract for up to 1,229 electric transit buses - a base order of 339 LFSe+, and options for a further 890 units - for delivery to towns and cities in the province of Québec. The contract was awarded by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) acting as agent in collaboration with the Association du transport urbain du Québec (ATUQ*).

Declaring ‘the contract is the most significant single order of electric buses in history in North America,’ Nova Bus said that the base order represents a contact value of CAN583m, the option order a value of CAN1.531bn, and when combined it has a potential total value of CAN2.114bn.

The LFSe+ is a 40ft long-range battery electric transit bus model. Nova Bus says it: ‘… represents a smart mobility solution combining the Nova Bus LFS platform, a durable, proven structure that facilitates access for people with impaired mobility, with the latest innovations in electromobility and security.’

The LFSe+ buses are to be delivered over a three year period starting in 2025. The LFSe+ frames for this order will be built at Saint-François-du-Lac and the buses will be assembled at the Saint-Eustache facility, in Québec province.

All LFSe+ Nova Bus models to be equipped with BAE Systems’ latest electric drive and control systems

The LFSe+ is equipped with a BAE Systems’ latest electric power and propulsion system, GEN3. The difference between the LFSe+ and LFSe is range, the former being able to offer an increased battery capacity and therefore range.

A key feature of the latest GEN3 electric drive system is the modularity of the inverter control system - referred to by BAE Systems as its Modular Power Control System (MPCS), the main function of which is to control the primary traction motor - and the ability to add modules for additional battery storage capacity. BAE Systems’ MPCS allows Nova Bus to expand and / or reduce the battery capacity of each bus with relative ease, as its MPCS has additional battery combiners that allow an OEM to add additional battery packs to it.

Currently, the Nova Bus buses that are being delivered today are already being fitted with the GEN3 MPCS system with either a four (98kWh x 4 ~ 392kWh) or a six battery (98kWh x 6 ~ 588kWh) pack solution depending on the application. However, this standard MPCS configuration already allows Nova Bus to add eight battery packs (8 x 98kWh ~ 784kWh), before an additional battery combiner module is required.

BAE Systems’ GEN3 comprises four main products:

·         The modular MPCS,

·         The MAPS (Modular Accessory Power System), which provides the auxiliary AC and DC (28V) power for vehicle accessories, such as 3-phase AC control of systems like the air conditioning, power steering, air compressors etc,

·         The GPM-12 permanent magnet electric motor,

·         The SCU (System Control Unit), which provides an operator interface, system monitoring & control, and ensures optimal power flow to and from system components.

Nova Bus pointed out that this order reflects the Québec government’s policy commitment to electrify public transit with the goal of having 55% of all buses on the road being electric by 2030 and every new bus purchase being 100% electric as of 2025. Several electrification plans have already been set in motion and Nova Bus is delighted to be the partner of choice in this transition.

*The ATUQ3 bid was launched on behalf of nine public transit authorities and one public transit organization in Québec, namely the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), the Société de transport de Laval (STL), the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC), the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL), the Société de transport de Lévis (STL), the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), the Société de transport de Sherbrooke (STS), the Service de Transport en Commun de Trois-Rivières (STTR) and the Société de transport du Saguenay (STS), as well as exo.