Federal officials approved billions in spending on electric transit buses without tracking how the vehicles perform in Canada’s harsh winters, according to newly released records that raise questions about the program’s oversight.Blacklock's Reporter says documents show the Department of Infrastructure was unable to identify any cases where electric buses suffered reduced battery life or failed in cold weather, telling MPs it had “not been made aware of any instances.” The admission came in response to written questions from Conservative MP Michael Kram.The funding flowed through Ottawa’s Zero Emission Transit Fund, launched in 2021 under then-environment minister Catherine McKenna. Since then, the federal government has committed more than $2.33 billion to support the purchase of 2,943 electric buses nationwide, an average of over $792,000 per vehicle.Municipalities receiving funding span the country, including Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax and Montréal, among dozens of others..Despite the lack of federal data on winter performance, bureaucrats described the program as a success, estimating the buses have reduced or avoided 16,757 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. That works out to a cost of roughly $139,135 per tonne, with officials suggesting the figure will improve as more buses enter service.At the program’s launch, McKenna called the initiative “smart public transit funding,” part of a broader push to cut emissions while creating jobs and supporting manufacturers.However, records indicate the program has not undergone a formal audit, and no explanation was provided for the absence of research into how battery-powered buses operate in sub-zero conditions common across much of Canada.Independent research has raised concerns about performance in cold climates. A 2025 study by Cornell University examining transit systems in upstate New York found electric buses experienced significant drops in energy efficiency in freezing temperatures, increasing operating costs and complicating service reliability.The study concluded that cold weather variability posed “substantial challenges” for transit systems relying on battery-powered fleets.
