People in the Kelowna Regional Transit System will soon be able to get to their destinations aboard an electric bus.
BC Transit's heavy-duty battery electric buses began arriving in Kelowna in spring 2026 and the first few are expected to enter service in the coming weeks. Kelowna will receive 22 electric buses in total, delivered over the next few months. The new electric buses are quieter and more energy efficient than their diesel counterparts. Each electric bus will save about one tanker truck of diesel fuel per year, or about 550 fill-ups for a mid-size car.
Thirty-two charging stations at Kelowna's Hardy Street facility will soon be completed to support new electric buses as they gradually arrive and enter service. Improvements to support electric buses were part of a larger facility upgrade project that also included expanded yard space for bus parking and upgrades to the maintenance shop.
In total, 125 heavy-duty electric buses will be delivered to eight BC Transit systems between now and the end of 2027, including Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Nelson, Powell River, Sunshine Coast, Greater Victoria and Whistler.
BC Transit electrification projects are funded through the Zero Emissions Transit Fund (ZETF) and the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Investments total over $424 million and are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, and with contributions from local government partners.
These electric bus projects, made possible with support from federal and provincial funding programs, help BC Transit work towards Clean BC climate action goals.
