Brantford Transit Adds Its First Two Electric Buses — Canadian-Made New Flyer XE40s

Brantford, Ontario is joining Canada's battery-electric transit ranks. Brantford Transit is adding its first two electric buses — 12-metre New Flyer XE40s manufactured in Canada, carrying the message "Zero Emissions. 100% Canadian." — and both are expected to enter regular service this month, according to the City of Brantford's announcement reported by the Brantford Expositor on September 11, 2026.

The purchase is a deliberately incremental one: rather than replacing diesel vehicles, the two buses expand the 38-bus fleet's overall capacity, letting the city learn battery-electric operations on a small scale before committing further.

What the buses cost

• Each XE40: just over $1.67 million, versus roughly $942,000 for a diesel model — a premium of more than $700,000 per bus.
• Charging infrastructure: an additional $652,000 for charging equipment purchase and installation, plus electrical upgrades to the Transit Services Centre where the buses charge overnight.

What the city expects to save

"While electric buses have a higher upfront cost, they are expected to reduce fuel costs by 50 to 80 per cent and maintenance costs by 25 to 40 per cent over their service life, based on current estimates, compared to diesel buses," said Shane Pepper, the city's director of fleet and transit services, in the city's news release.

On emissions, the city's estimated operating data projects each bus will cut about 90 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year compared with a conventional diesel bus — a reduction it likens to the CO₂ absorbed by roughly 4,500 mature trees. The buses produce zero tailpipe emissions and run more quietly than diesel, which the city says will improve air quality and the rider experience on routes across the city.

Why Brantford is starting small

The two buses support the city's Climate Change Action Plan and follow recommendations from its Transit Fleet Electrification Feasibility Study, which identified opportunities to cut emissions from fleet operations. "While the Brantford Transit team gains valuable experience operating and maintaining battery electric vehicles, riders will enjoy a quieter and cleaner trip. The lessons learned from these first two buses will help inform how we plan for the future," Pepper said.

"Introducing electric buses to Brantford Transit's fleet is an important step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from city operations and advancing our climate action goals," said Sue Brocklebank, the city's climate change officer. Brantford Transit will monitor the performance of the new vehicles to inform future fleet planning.

Part of a bigger Canadian pattern

Brantford's step mirrors the national trend: Canadian zero-emission bus sales have scaled up quickly as transit systems pair federal co-funding with depot-charging builds — Canadian ZEV bus sales nearly doubled in 2025, and larger systems like Winnipeg Transit are moving to electric fleets in bigger batches. For a mid-size Ontario city, the $1.67-million-per-bus premium and $652,000 charging investment is the standard entry ticket — and the 50-to-80-per-cent fuel savings estimate is the number that determines whether the second batch follows.

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