Example of a hydrogen fuel cell electric transit bus. Mississauga is poised to be the first municipality in Ontario to use such buses in its transit fleet. (Photo: City of Mississauga)

Mississauga will soon become the first Ontario municipality to use hydrogen fuel cell electric buses as part of its public transit fleet.

Following city council approval in September 2024, the City of Mississauga bought 10 40-foot hydrogen fuel cell electric buses at a cost of $20 million.

At the time, delivery of the vehicles to MiWay, the city’s public transit provider, was anticipated by early 2026.

However, City Manager Geoff Wright said on Wednesday they’re now looking at adding the new buses either later this year or early in 2027.

“The buses are being built and assembled right now,” with delivery scheduled for towards the end of this year into early next year, Wright said at city council in response to an inquiry from Ward 7 Coun. Dipika Damerla.

Example of a hydrogen fuel cell electric bus. (Photo: City of Mississauga)

When staff get more details, they’ll bring a report to council with a specific delivery timeline and additional information on the overall project, the city manager added.

When the new buses arrive, they’ll be added to a MiWay fleet that currently numbers some 500 public transit vehicles, making it Ontario’s third-largest municipal transit service behind only Toronto and Ottawa.

The city said in September 2024 that Mississauga would be Ontario’s first municipality to pilot hydrogen fuel cell electric buses within its transit fleet.

MiWay’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus project will move the city towards more sustainable public transit, officials noted earlier, adding hydrogen is a cleaner fuel option that offers a better alternative to diesel.

Alternatives to diesel fuel for buses

“If we’re going to be smart about climate change, we need to start looking into alternatives to diesel for our growing transit fleet and start investing in cleaner fuels and technologies,” Mayor Carolyn Parrish said in late 2024. “This $20 million investment will advance our understanding of hydrogen fuel and what it means for sustainable transportation options in the future. We’re committed to looking for innovative and low-emission solutions to reach our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Mississauga by 40 per cent by 2030.”

City transit officials also noted at the time MiWay is taking “big steps” towards transitioning to a zero-emission transit system with major investments in its fleet.

“Since 2019, MiWay has been working to replace its diesel buses and bring in lower-emission vehicles in addition to now piloting and investing in new vehicle technologies like hydrogen fuel cell electric buses,” the local transit agency said earlier.

City officials said in 2024 that efforts to enhance the MiWay fleet are backed by the federal government’s Zero Emission Transit Fund, which granted Mississauga approval for funding in December 2022.

Mississauga was expected to be reimbursed for as much as $10 million by the federal fund once the MiWay hydrogen fuel cell bus project was approved.


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