A BC Transit electric bus on the streets in Victoria. (Image Credit: BC Transit)

By Victor Kaisar

Electric Buses

Construction on electric bus infrastructure at BC Transit Kamloops depot to begin in January

Dec 29, 2025 | 6:29 AM

KAMLOOPS — Construction on electric bus infrastructure at the BC Transit bus depot in Kamloops is set to begin in January and wrap up in the fall.

BC Transit says 16 charging station will be installed at the Ord Road depot, along with power distribution infrastructure and other electric charging equipment.

“The public will not be impacted by construction, and no traffic disruptions are expected,” a statement from BC Transit said. “Customers can expect bus service to continue as scheduled.”

(Image Credit: BC Transit)

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BC Transit’s Levi Timmermans told CFJC Today that plans are already in place to deal with the cold winter temperatures seen at times in Kamloops, adding there are no concerns that the new fleet of buses will not be able to handle the elements.

“We do have diesel auxiliary heaters on the vehicles, so if we have a really super cold day with concerns about all the battery juice being sucked up to warm the bus so to speak, we can kick on that diesel generator to create some heat on the vehicle,” Timmermans said.

The Crown Corporation says eight of its transit systems are in line for electrification projects, including Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Nelson, Powell River, Sunshine Coast, Victoria, and Whistler.

BC Transit has ordered 125 heavy-duty electric buses from Nova Bus and New Flyer in 2024, and it notes 15 electric buses already on the roads in Victoria.

“Electrification infrastructure projects in Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Powell River and Sunshine Coast are made possible thanks to joint funding through the Zero Emissions Transit Fund totaling $164 million from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, with contributions from local government partners,” BC Transit added.

“Funding for BC Transit’s electric buses and infrastructure was announced in July 2023, supported in part by the Zero Emission Transit Fund and the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.”

Kamloops is scheduled to get 10 heavy-duty electric buses once construction at the Ord Road depot wraps up.

These new electric buses are part of BC Transit’s goal of electrifying its entire fleet by 2040. Unlike some other BC Transit systems, conventional buses in Kamloops already operate using compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of diesel.

According to BC Transit, its electric buses can drive between 250 km and 400 km on a single charge, depending on various conditions. It notes buses will be charged overnight for about five to six hours, in preparation for the next day.

“[Our findings show us] that we don’t need a 100 per cent direct one charger to one bus radio, and we can do intermittent day time charging to supplement things,” Timmermans added. “As we get more and more vehicles, we’ll optimize the vehicles that are running service, and we can also optimize our charging.”