KNOWLEDGE SERIES
KNOWLEDGE SERIES THE GREAT TRANSITION: LESSONS FROM A HALF-DECADE OF ZEB DEPLOYMENT
2026 2026
FINAL FULL REPORT
2026 Volume 7 Number 1
Written by: Dr. Josipa Petrunić, President and CEO Bernard Ross, Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Simulation Modeller Ryan Welfle, IP Development Lead
ALL BACKGROUND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND MODELLING TOOLS, INPUT AND OUTPUT VARIABLES REMAIN IN THE SOLE OWNERSHIP OF CUTRIC. ANY USE, REPRODUCTION OR REDISTRIBUTION MUST INCLUDE PROPER CREDIT TO CUTRIC AS THE SOURCE AND AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION AND RESPONSIBILITY. COPYRIGHT © 2026 CUTRIC-CRITUC
CUTRIC-CRITUC, KNOWLEDGE SERIES, THE GREAT TRANSITION: LESSONS FROM A HALF-DECADE OF ZEB DEPLOYMENT. VOLUME 7. NO. 1 (2026)
TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents
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List of Figures
4
Acronym List
5
Intellectual Property (IP), Confidentiality and Copyright Statement
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Background IP
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Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Statement
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Executive Summary
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1 Introduction
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2 Recent Technology Advancements
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2.1 Battery Electric Buses (BEBs)
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2.2 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Buses (FCEBs)
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2.3 Charge Management Systems (CMS)
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3 Case Study: Zero Emissions Transit Feasibility – Cochrane, Alberta
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3.1 The Operational Context
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3.2 Technical Performance and Success Rates
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3.3 Economic and Environmental Paradoxes
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3.4 Conclusion and Strategic Recommendations
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4 Case Study: Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
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5 Case Study: Rout∑.i™ Social Impact Analytics
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5.1 Evolution from Noise Reduction to Holistic Equity
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5.2 Scaling to Rout∑.i™ Social 2.0
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6 Industry Insights: Heliox, A Siemens Business and Electric Vehicle Supply
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Equipment (EVSE) Infrastructure 7 Market Opportunities and Challenges: Panel Discussion Insights
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7.1 Operational Feasibility and Data Accuracy
38
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 7.2 Technological Advancements in Charge Management
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7.3 The Human Factor: Charge Management and Operator Psychology
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7.4 The Impact of Industry Standards
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8 Government Advocacy and Funding Landscape
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8.1 Pillar 1: Bolstering the CPTF Through Dedicated Infrastructure Funding Portfolios
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8.2 Pillar 2: Establishing a Workable Harmonized Canadian Content Framework (HCCF)
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8.3 Pillar 3: Cross-Pollinating Investments in Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Infrastructure
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with the Automotive Strategy 8.4 Pillar 4: Cross-Pollinating with the Modernized Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS)
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9 Conclusion
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9.1 Recent Technological Advances
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9.2 Case Studies
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9.3 Industry and Market Insights
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9.4 Government Advocacy
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9.5 Final Conclusion
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References
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Power Your Zero-Emission Transit Transition
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Join CUTRIC's Upcoming Conferences
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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Improvements in ZEB Technology Since 2020
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Figure 2. Summary of Cochrane On-Demand Transit Analysis
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Figure 3. Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Key Outcomes
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Figure 4. Socio-Economic Impact of ZEBs
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Figure 5. Panel Discussion Outcomes
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Figure 6. Federal Advocacy Four Core Pillars
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Figure 7. Advancements in BEBs
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Figure 8. Advancements in FCEBs
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Figure 9. Advancements in CMS
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Figure 10. Electrification Cases
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Figure 11. Case One (25-Foot BEB Solution) Summary
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Figure 12. Case Two (30-Foot BEB Solution) Summary
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Figure 13. Parameters Assessed in the Social Analysis
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Figure 14. Charge Management and Operator Psychology
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Figure 15. Impact of Industry Standards
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Figure 16. Pillar 1: Bolstering the CPTF Through Dedicated Infrastructure
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Funding Portfolios Figure 17. Pillar 2: Establishing a Workable Harmonized Canadian
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Content Framework (HCCF) Figure 18. Pillar 3: Cross-Pollinating Investments in ZEB Infrastructure
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with the Automotive Strategy Figure 19. Pillar 4: Cross-Pollinating with the Modernized Defence
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Industrial Strategy (DIS)
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ACRONYM LIST BCSF
Build Communities Strong Fund
BEB
Battery Electric Bus
BOREALIS
Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science
CAPEX
Capital Expenditures
CCIIRT
Canadian Cybersecurity Innovation Initiative in Rail and Transit
CCV
Canadian Content Value
CETA
Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
CNG
Compressed Natural Gas
COLT
Cochrane On-Demand Local Transit
CPTF
Canadian Public Transit Fund
CUSMA
Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement
CUTRIC
Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium
DBRF
Depot Build and Retrofit Fund
DC
Direct Current
DIA
Defence Investment Agency
DIS
Defence Industrial Strategy
EVSE
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
FACT
Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade
FCEB
Fuel Cell Electric Bus
GIS
Geographic Information Systems
H2
Hydrogen
HCCF
Harmonized Canadian Content Framework
HICC
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
HVAC
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
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ACRONYM LIST IP
Intellectual Property
ISO
International Organization for Standardization
ITB
Industrial and Technological Benefits
kWh
Kilowatt-Hour
MRA
Metro Region Agreements
NRC
National Research Council
OCPP
Open Charge Point Protocol
PM2.5
Particulate Matter
PMO
Prime Minister's Office
RDD&I
Research, Development, Demonstration and Integration
RFP
Request for Proposal
SOC
State of Charge
TTC
Toronto Transit Commission
ZEB
Zero Emissions Bus
ZEBTEC ZETF
Zero Emissions Bus Technology and Energy Committee Zero Emission Transit Fund
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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP), CONFIDENTIALITY AND COPYRIGHT STATEMENT The material in this report reflects CUTRIC’s best judgment considering the information available at the time of preparation. Any use a third party makes of this report or any reliance on or decisions to be made based on the report’s content are the responsibility of such third parties. The Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) accepts no responsibility for damages, if any, suffered by any third party as a result of decisions made or actions based on this report.
Background IP Any “background” intellectual property (IP) relating to CUTRIC’s RoutΣ.i™3.0 algorithm or allied algorithmic non-profit modelling tools developed by CUTRIC remains the sole property of CUTRIC. Any technical specifications provided in the form of raw data by manufacturers or third parties, which serve as inputs into CUTRIC’s algorithms, analysis or methodologies remain the sole property of those third party providers.
Confidentiality and non-disclosure statement This document is prepared for CUTRIC members and may be publicly accessible for informational purposes. Any use, reproduction or redistribution must include proper credit to CUTRIC as the source and at CUTRIC’s own discretion and responsibility. The Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) makes no warranties regarding thirdparty decisions based on this material and assumes no liability for any resulting actions oroutcomes.
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