During a recent visit to the Nova Bus manufacturing facility in St-Eustache, QC, Québec Premier Jean Charest announced the launch of a provincial effort to support the development of electric buses. The province is investing $30 million (Cdn.) as part of a $73 million public-private partnership that will work to develop electric buses for the international public transportation market.

“The development of the electric vehicle industry is a priority for the government of Québec,” Charest said in a statement.

A non-profit organization, Consortium Bus Électrique, will lead the three-year project, which is expected to produce electric bus models in two different sizes. Nova Bus—joined by Bathium Canada, TM4, Giro, René Matériaux Composites, and Précicad—will use $27 million of the province’s investment to design and manufacture a 40-foot electric vehicle. The remaining $3 million will fund the design and manufacture of a 25-foot aluminum electric micro-bus by Infodev, STYL&TECH, and Structures CPI.

The Québec government's 2011-2020 action plan focuses on developing products for the electric vehicle industry so that the province can become an important player in this new global market. The government plans ultimately to invest $250 million in coming years to help deploy and promote the use of electric vehicles in the province.

Clément Gignac, the province’s minister of natural resources, noted that his government is working to have 95 percent of public transit electrified by 2030.