Connect with us

Technology

Zero to 200 – Federal government and Langs Bus Lines race ahead on fleet electrification

Published

3 months ago

on

LONDON, ON, June 21, 2024 /CNW/ – The federal government is partnering with Langs Bus Lines to replace nearly half their diesel school buses with 200 electric ones.

The announcement was made by Parliamentary Secretary Peter Fragiskatos; MP Arielle Kayabaga; Brian Reilly, Senior Director of the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB); and Kevin Langs, Vice-President of Langs Bus Lines.

Infrastructure Canada is providing more than $22.2 million in federal funding through the Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) to Langs. CIB has also reached financial close on a $22.4 million investment with them.

Both the ZETF funding and the CIB loan will work together to support purchasing the new buses by 2026. In addition, a portion of the ZETF investment will go towards installing the required chargers and upgrading existing facilities in five sites across southwestern Ontario. The new buses will serve students in Sarnia, Strathroy, London, and Woodstock’s most populated communities.

Over $600,000 of the total ZETF funding will support a feasibility study to support Langs in strengthening its knowledge and preparing for the transition.

Meanwhile, CIB’s loan will help cover the higher upfront capital costs of the buses, helping  accelerate the transition.

A family run business for over 50 years, Langs Bus Lines operates buses, vans and mobility accessible vehicles for home to school transportation in London, Sarnia, Chatham-Kent, Woodstock, and surrounding areas throughout Southwestern Ontario. Transitioning to an electric fleet is in line with their vision to drive clean and reduce students’ exposure to bus emissions.

Quotes

“Electric school buses will help 9,000 students in Southwestern Ontario get to school safely. At the same time, they will play a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping Canada meet its emissions reduction target of net-zero by 2050.”

Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for London North Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“School buses fulfill a critical need in our communities by providing a safe and reliable way for children to arrive at school. These vehicles drive thousands of kilometres every year, contributing to pollution and noise. The federal government’s investment in 200 electric, zero-emission school buses for Langs Bus Lines will benefit students and our communities for years to come.”

Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West

“Diesel buses significantly contribute to carbon emissions across the country and there is an important opportunity to transform the school bus market to electric. The Canada Infrastructure Bank’s investment in Langs Bus Lines will help students get to and from school in sustainable zero-emission vehicles.”

Ehren Cory, Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Infrastructure Bank

“We are delighted to receive this support through the Government of Canada’s Zero Emission Transit Fund, to assist us in providing safe and sustainable student transportation. With this funding, we will replace diesel engine buses that are retiring from service with zero-emission battery electric school buses. Thousands of students in our service area throughout southwestern Ontario will benefit from a safe, emissions-free ride every school day.”

Kevin Langs, Vice-President, Langs Bus Lines Limited

Quick facts

The Government of Canada is investing more than $22.2 million in the electrification of Langs Bus Lines’ fleet through the Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF). The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is providing a $22.4 million investment. Langs Bus Lines is contributing more than $23.08 million.Replacing 200 diesel buses with electric ones will reduce yearly greenhouse gas emissions by over 4,200 tonnes, equivalent to offsetting the yearly energy consumption of 550 homes.The ZETF helps communities transition to zero emission transit and school buses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to Canada’s net-zero emissions targets. By electrifying their bus fleets, communities are working toward a cleaner environment for our kids while creating jobs and supporting Canadian manufacturing.Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested over $24.8 billion in transit projects across the country, providing Canadians with cleaner and more efficient commuting options.This Fund is closely coordinated with the CIB’s Zero Emission Bus Initiative through which the Bank has committed more than $1.5 billion to supporting the deployment of zero emission buses.The CIB’s Zero Emission Bus Initiative assists transit agencies and school bus operators to transition their fleets to modern, environmentally friendly vehicles.The CIB seeks to invest up to CAD $5 billion into public transit projects that are in the public interest and support Canadian sustainable economic growth.

Associated Links

Zero Emission Transit Fund
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/zero-emissions-trans-zero-emissions/index-eng.html 

Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html 

Canada Infrastructure Bank – Zero Emission Buses Initiative
https://cib-bic.ca/en/sectors/public-transit/ 

Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html 

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

HYPERGROWTH CX SOFTWARE PROVIDER ANNOUNCES NEW HIRES TO FUEL UK GROWTH AND US EXPANSION

Published

37 mins ago

on

September 24, 2024

By

CloudInteract announces new senior hires to support UK growth and US expansion, as it sets sights on supporting an industry predicted to grow to over USD 22 billion by 2030

LONDON, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CloudInteract, a rapidly growing, UK-based provider of customer experience (CX) platforms, announces new senior hires to support its UK growth plans and expansion into the US market.

Founded by customer workplace communications experts, Nick Seagrave and Simon Leyland, CloudInteract launched in 2023, providing customers, including education provider, Pearson, life sciences enterprises, and online consumer services providers, such as Swoop with innovative CX software, as well as supporting industry partners, including Amazon Web Services.

Through the delivery of AI-driven platforms and omnichannel systems, CloudInteract empowers companies to scale and continuously adapt to their evolving customer service needs.

Simon Leyland, CEO and co-founder of CloudInteract, explains, “CloudInteract was born out of Nick’s and my mission to reimagine customer experience, by making contact centre interactions better for both customers and users alike. We understand that in a world full of technology providers, the difference lies in how technology transforms real-world experiences.”

To support its UK growth plans and expansion of its US presence, CloudInteract has onboarded new talent to its 50% female senior leadership team. The company recently welcomed Marketing Director, Louise Mahrra, Head of Business, North America, Nancy Van Delist and UK Head of Business Development, Julian Degg.

They will work alongside Change Director, Eliza Taylor and co-founders, Chief Technology Officer, Nick Seagrave and CEO Simon Leyland.

“As CloudInteract expands its operations and brings in new talent to support strategic growth in an industry predicted to mature to over USD 22 billion by 2030, we are firmly fixated on helping businesses unlock the full potential of their customer experience platforms by turning every interaction into a competitive advantage.”

“By doubling down on our investment in people, partnerships, and platforms, we’re positioning CloudInteract as the go-to partner for businesses that want to unlock the power of AI, data, and communication to transform their customer interactions,” concluded Simon.

About CloudInteract: https://www.cloudinteract.io/ 

CloudInteract builds customer experience platforms to unlock the potential of data to improve customer interactions. Our solutions leverage AI, automation, and integration to create smarter, seamless customer experiences that are built to last.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2512678/CloudInteract_Logo.jpg

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hypergrowth-cx-software-provider-announces-new-hires-to-fuel-uk-growth-and-us-expansion-302255608.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Tata Elxsi Delivers World’s First RDK-B Integration on Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform

Published

37 mins ago

on

September 24, 2024

By

SAN DIEGO and BENGALURU, India, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Tata Elxsi, a global leader in design and technology services, today announced the successful integration of the RDK-B software stack with the Qualcomm® 5G FWA Gen 3 Platform. This first-of-its-kind integration opens a new pathway for operators to deliver fast, reliable, and scalable high-speed FWA solutions. Integration of the RDK-B middleware includes key features, such as Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, packet statistics, and advanced security options, ensuring the platform is versatile and can be deployed in both indoor and outdoor environments. Operators can now deliver value-added services, like Quality of Service (QoS), band steering, parental control, and VPN, enhancing the overall broadband experience. 

Gautam Sheoran – VP and GM, Wireless Broadband and Communications at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., stated: 

“We are proud to collaborate closely with Tata Elxsi, who has leveraged their considerable expertise to port the RDK-B stack to our 5G FWA Gen 3 Platform, featuring the Snapdragon® X75 Modem-RF System. This critical step empowers operators to accelerate time-to-market, deliver high performance FWA solutions, and reduce development efforts, as they deploy powerful new FWA CPE solutions. We look forward, through continued collaboration with Tata Elxsi, to expanding our engagement with the broader RDK community, giving operators more choices and flexibility in deploying state-of-the-art solutions.”

Priya S Kumar – Head, Media and Communications at Tata Elxsi, stated:

“This integration broadens the RDK ecosystem and silicon diversity, which has traditionally centered on wired technologies like DOCSIS and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). By incorporating RDK-B into the cellular-managed WAN space, Tata Elxsi is excited to collaborate in positioning the Snapdragon X75 platform as a future-ready solution for high-performance broadband applications. Tata Elxsi’s continuous commitment to the RDK ecosystem enables SoCs, OEMs and operators to rapidly innovate and scale, addressing the demands of next-generation broadband technologies.”

Looking ahead, Tata Elxsi will upgrade the platform to include next-generation features such as Wi-Fi 7. This upgrade will further enhance FWA devices, offering operators more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solutions, setting the stage for the next generation of wireless innovation. 

About Tata Elxsi

Tata Elxsi is among the world’s leading design and technology services providers across industries, including Automotive, Broadcast, Communications, Healthcare and Transportation.

We are helping customers reimagine their products and services through design thinking and applying digital technologies, such as IoT (Internet of Things), Cloud, Mobility, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. For more information, visit www.tataelxsi.com

Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Snapdragon is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/742257/4913784/Tata_Elxsi_Logo.jpg

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tata-elxsi-delivers-worlds-first-rdk-b-integration-on-qualcomm-5g-fixed-wireless-access-platform-302256787.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Huawei Calls to Expand Partnerships to Drive Global Digital Inclusion through TECH4ALL

Published

37 mins ago

on

September 24, 2024

By

SHANGHAI, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — At the TECH4ALL Digital Inclusion Forum hosted at Huawei Connect 2024, Huawei called for more partners to join its TECH4LL initiative to drive global digital inclusion.

Launched in 2019 and aligned with the UN SDGs, TECH4ALL is Huawei’s long-term action plan for enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital world, focusing on the education, environment, health, and development domains.

At the forum, attendees explored TECH4ALL inclusion projects and digital inclusion advances in China outlined in the 2024 China Digital Inclusion Report produced by China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

“Promoting digital inclusion can not only effectively deal with problems that may exist in the development and application of digital technology, but also improve the realization of our overall goals,” said Xin Yongfei, Director of the CAICT Institute for Policy and Economics.

Discussions focused on how technology can help bring down barriers to information accessibility, equal opportunities, and a high quality of life. A key theme at the forum concerned the importance of cross-sector partnerships in maximizing the efficacy of inclusion projects such as those Huawei’s runs under TECH4ALL.

“Huawei is a committed to supporting China’s digital inclusion strategy,” said Jeffrey Zhou, President of ICT Marketing at Huawei. “We work with governments, enterprises, scientific research institutions, universities, and NGOs to implement projects that provide a useful reference for the world to seize the opportunities of digital transformation and share the inclusive benefits of digitalization.”    

Partners from both the deaf and vision-impaired communities looked at the role of technology in enabling digital inclusion. Huawei shared how it considers the needs of people with disabilities, the elderly, and children from the beginning of product design. As well as Bluetooth connectivity for hearing aids, Huawei smartphones, provide 15 accessibility features that are used by around 10 million people each month. These include technologies that can identify and send alerts for job recommendations tailored for people with disabilities.

“As a visually impaired device user and Huawei partner, I think it’s crucial to share the message that technology can give everyone an equal opportunity to participate in society, use public resources, and help eliminate the digital divide,” said Yin Nan, Chairman of Tianjin Hongqiao District Blind Association.

With partners the China Association of the Deaf and E-Times Digital Technology, Huawei TECH4ALL has also developed the Trouble-Free Hearing app. Based on Huawei Cloud AI, the app provides speech-to-text and text-to-speech translation and a real-time online sign language hub for use in potentially complex situations such as healthcare, legal consultations, and at service windows.

The forum also explored education inclusion through the TECH4ALL China DigiSchool project, which aims to provide online resources and teacher training for the delivery of STEAM curriculum. To date, 4,800 teachers and students have benefited in 29 schools.

Huawei also runs a range of education and training initiatives across the globe, including the Open School project with UNESCO, Instant Schools Network with Vodafone Foundation, and Skills and Wheels projects with global and local partners. Skills on Wheels, for example, brings free digital skills training to remote communities via truck-mounted mobile classrooms, reaching 93,000 people in 18 countries so far.

TECH4ALL education projects have reached more than 400,000 people across the globe, with technology and partnerships the key to success of each project.

About Huawei TECH4ALL

TECH4ALL is Huawei’s long-term digital inclusion initiative. Enabled by innovative technologies and partnerships, TECH4ALL aims to promote inclusion and sustainability in the digital world.

For more information, visit the Huawei TECH4ALL website: https://www.huawei.com/en/tech4all 

Follow us on X:
https://twitter.com/HUAWEI_TECH4ALL 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huawei-calls-to-expand-partnerships-to-drive-global-digital-inclusion-through-tech4all-302256791.html

SOURCE Huawei

Continue Reading

Trending