City of Brampton and Zenobē announce historic partnership to electrify transit fleet in landmark UK-Canada collaboration
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown met United Kingdom Prime Minister in Ottawa to mark milestone agreement
The Voice of Canada:
The City of Brampton announced a landmark $4 billion partnership with Zenobē, a global fleet electrification and battery storage specialist headquartered in London, UK, to fully electrify Brampton Transit’s bus fleet — the largest zero-emission transit initiative in Canada.
The historic announcement was made today in Ottawa, where Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Zenobē leadership met with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to recognize the groundbreaking partnership between Canada and the United Kingdom, highlighting a model of international cooperation, foreign investment and public-private innovation.
(Left to Right: Zenobē Global Direcor of EV Fleet Tim Boothman; Zenobē Co-Founder and Director Steven Meersman; The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer; Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Hon. Fouzia Younis, U.K.’s Consul-General to Ontario)
The agreement will launch the first phase of a 10-year electrification framework that will ultimately see Brampton’s entire diesel-powered bus fleet replaced with up to 1,000 battery electric buses (BEBs), supporting more than 40 million annual passenger trips. Once complete, the program is expected to eliminate the majority of transit-related greenhouse gas emissions — which currently account for approximately 70% of the City’s corporate GHG emissions.
In addition to the significant environmental benefits, the partnership is expected to support 5,000 direct and indirect jobs across Canada and the United Kingdom and deliver $1 billion in foreign investment into Canada.
Today’s announcement builds on the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) investment of up to $400 million to support Brampton Transit’s purchase of up to 450 zero-emission buses (ZEBs) by 2027. The CIB’s financing contributes towards the upfront capital cost of the ZEBs, and more specifically battery electric buses, to help accelerate the electrification of the City’s bus fleet.
Quotes
“This historic investment marks a turning point for Brampton and for public transit across Canada. By transitioning to a fully electric bus fleet, we’re not only reducing emissions — we’re creating jobs, improving air quality, and building a cleaner, healthier future for our residents. Brampton is proud to lead one of North America’s largest zero-emission transit projects, and we are grateful to our partners in the U.K. and Canada for helping make this bold vision a reality.” – Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton
“The U.K. is one of our oldest and closest trading partners and I am very excited that our relationship will deepen even more through the investment partnership between the City of Brampton and Zenobē. As Canada continues our efforts on trade diversification, this investment by U.K. partners is great news for our economy, creating thousands of jobs.” – Hon. Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, Member of Parliament, Brampton East
“This landmark partnership between Zenobē and the City of Brampton is a powerful example of how U.K.-Canada collaboration can deliver real-world solutions to global challenges. It showcases the U.K.’s leadership in clean transport and infrastructure, while creating skilled jobs and driving innovation on both sides of the Atlantic. I am thrilled to see British expertise helping to shape a more sustainable future for one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, and we look forward to this project serving as a model for future international cooperation.” – Hon. Fouzia Younis, U.K.’s Consul-General to Ontario
“We bring considerable experience working with local and federal public sector partners to enable and accelerate their transition to electric fleets. Our customized match-funding options, combined with the experience from delivering over 120 electric depots globally, lowers costs and de-risks the inevitable path to zero-emission fleets. We are delighted to grow our presence in Canada, with Brampton, as we jointly achieve their financial and ecological objectives. We expect this will serve as a model for other projects currently under development.” – Steven Meersman, Co-Founder and Director, Zenobē
“With one of the largest zero-emission bus programs in North America, Brampton is setting a new standard for sustainable, modern public transit. Beyond reducing emissions and improving air quality for our residents, this partnership will also drive local economic growth, creating thousands of jobs and building expertise right here in Brampton. We’re proud to work alongside Zenobē and all partners as we deliver on Council’s vision for a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient future for one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities.” – Heidi Dempster, General Manager, Brampton Transit, City of Brampton
