An artificial intelligence project aiming to boost adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), led by McMaster’s Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL), is being awarded over $1 million for its potential to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
The funding, received through Natural Resource Canada’s Energy Innovation Program On-road Transportation Decarbonization, will support an AI-powered and web-based toolkit.
Led by Moataz Mohamed, MITL director, this toolkit – called an e-Transit Orchestrator – will help Canadian public transit agencies and municipalities accelerate their shift to battery electric bus systems.
Mohamed, a civil engineering associate professor in the Faculty of Engineering, explained that the platform will allow transit providers to simulate, test and optimize fleet composition, charging infrastructure and operational strategies.
“Smart transit isn’t just about moving people—it’s about moving forward,” he said.
With AI and data-driven planning, we’re pioneering Made-in-Canada solutions to support the transition to cleaner, more resilient cities.
MITL is partnering with Halifax Transit, Calgary Transit, ATUQ and Niagara Region Transit to move toward more sustainable transportation. Co-principal investigators include McMaster’s Bruce Newbold, Faculty of Science, and Mohamed Hassan, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering.
Cost-effective systems
A media release announcing the funding noted that the projects target the most impactful technologies to maximize both economic and environmental outcomes.
This e-Transit Orchestrator will focus on offering system-level planning for electric buses and charging infrastructure.
The configurations it provides are aligned with electricity prices and greenhouse gas intensity in the grid: whether the grid is being fueled by mostly clean energy or fossil fuels. By doing so, Mohamed explained, the operating costs and greenhouse gas impact are both minimized.
“The e-Transit Orchestrator mitigates the need for a costly power grid upgrade by using artificial intelligence and smart energy management systems to cap the power demanded from the grid,” said Mohamed, who is also a Joseph Ip Distinguished Engineering Fellow.
“Our toolkit empowers cost-effective decision-making.”
A focus on building resiliency
Considering the importance of public transit in urban cities, emphasis on resiliency was at the forefront of the toolkit’s design. The configurations and operational schedules that the toolkit creates will keep operating during any brief power outages or unplanned maintenance.
It also allows the transit groups using the tool to design and define specific safeguard measures, such as protection against longer outages. The project, Mohamed said, is market-ready with features that can be tailored to each transit agency.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson counted the McMaster project among “bold steps to make Canada an energy superpower.”
“Canadian innovators are creating and commercializing the emerging technologies we need for clean, sustainable transportation for our future. We’re investing in Canadian ideas to accelerate emissions reductions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which strengthens our supply chains and energy independence,” he said.
Among its other world-class research on transportation and logistics, the MITL is turning attention to heavy-duty vehicles to help trucking fleets transition to ZEVs, as well as examining electric vehicle adoption and factors shaping household purchasing decisions.
Learn more about McMaster’s Institute for Transportation and Logistics
