Energizing Public Transit for Islands

On track to completely electrify its public bus fleet by 2030, the Government of Bermuda has successfully deployed 70 electric transit buses in its fleet as of 2024, leading to nearly 100 percent electric daily operations. This has provided substantial economic and environmental benefits to the island nation while enabling the Bermuda Department of Public Transportation (DPT) to replace a significant portion of its aging diesel bus fleet and provide high-quality public transit service.

Comprehensive technical research and analysis, a robust procurement process, and long-term infrastructure planning were key strategies that allowed Bermuda to pioneer public transport electrification in the region. Each component of the project was deployed intentionally, focusing on the local use case and working toward a 100 percent electrification goal.

Bermuda’s e-bus deployment has spurred the Government of Bermuda to drive transportation decarbonization efforts such as electrifying government fleet vehicles, developing national electrification policy initiatives, and developing solutions to upcoming challenges such as battery disposal. Coupled with the expansion of locally generated renewable energy, Bermuda is well-positioned to benefit significantly from the EV transition, leading to a more sustainable, economical, and resilient future.

This report dives into the planning and implementation learnings from Bermuda’s e-bus initiative and provides insight into the varied economic and environmental benefits of these vehicles. It covers the barriers overcome by DPT and solutions employed to ensure success, presenting a set of best practices as relevant lessons for other transit electrification projects around the world.