The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) is a socially responsible non-profit organization that spearheads, designs, and launches technology and commercialization projects that advance next-generation zero-carbon mobility and transportation solutions across Canada. It also develops low-cost simulation tools that help transit agencies across Canada and the United States predict how their electric buses, hydrogen fuel cell buses and autonomous smart vehicles (for first kilometre/last kilometre solutions) will operate in real-time on roads and in service.

These advancements help to grow the low-carbon and smart technology eco-system across Canada and North America, leading to job growth and economic development over the long-term.

CUTRIC’s work generates solutions that decrease fuel consumption, reduce emissions, reduce congestion, and improve the quality of life for mobility customers and transit riders.

In sum, CUTRIC supports the development and commercialization technologies required for a 21st century low-carbon green economy.

Vision

To make Canada a global leader in low-carbon smart mobility technologies across heavy-duty and light-duty platforms, including advanced transit, transportation, and integrated mobility applications.

Mission

To support the commercialization of technologies through industry-led collaborative research, development, demonstration, and integration (RDD&I) projects that bring innovative design to Canada’s low-carbon smart mobility eco-system.

CUTRIC’s Pillars of Innovation

1. Zero- and low-emissions propulsion technologies and systems integration, including battery electric and hybrid electric propulsion technologies, hydrogen fuel cell electric propulsion technologies, as well as grid-based smart management tools that balance electric fleet charging and/or hydrogen refuelling.

2. Smart vehicles and smart infrastructure technologies for automated and connected vehicles on road and on rail, including standardized and interoperable fleet management systems, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications systems, as well as intelligent transportation systems and smart mobility solutions.

3. Big Data for mobility analytics and Mobility as a Service applications, including initiatives to optimize public and private fleets through the use of descriptive, analytic, and predictive data assessment, and the integration of artificially intelligent decision-making systems that guide fleet managers in real-time.

4. Cybersecurity in advanced mobility applications, securitization of low-carbon smart mobility systems, including secure communications for autonomous and connected vehicles given the susceptibility of new vehicle systems to malicious attack.

Our Services

1. Project Development & Project Management (TRL 7-9)
   • CUTRIC delivers high quality program management for the development and successful launch of demonstration projects and support stakeholders throughout the total life of the project.
   • CUTRIC helps de-risk the costs associated with the commercialization and deployment of low carbon smart mobility (LCSM) projects (e.g., Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration & Integration Trial and Pan-Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration & Integration Trial).
   • CUTRIC leads Federal, Provincial, and Municipal lobbying efforts to obtain funding for projects, and we apply for funding on behalf of consortium based projects.
   • CUTRIC builds a consortia of competitive OEMS to advance standardization of LCSM technologies; integrating transit and municipal needs into the tech design of consortia based projects. For more information please visit our Projects page.
     
2. Funding R&D Projects (TRL 2-6)
   • CUTRIC’s funding program has the objective to (1) make Canada a global leader in low-carbon smart mobility technologies across heavy-duty and light-duty platforms, including advanced transit, transportation, and integrated mobility applications; and (2) support the commercialization of technologies through industry-led collaborative research, development, demonstration and integration (RDD&I) projects that bring innovative design to Canada’s low-carbon smart mobility eco-system.
   • CUTRIC collaborative innovation projects will integrate private companies (manufacturers, start-ups, and small to mid-sized enterprises), transit operators, and academic research teams to develop next generation made-in-Canada technologies for global transportation networks. Projects should be located in Ontario. However, exceptions will be made case-by-case to have project partners outside Ontario, across Canada. For more information please visit our Funding page.
     
3. Applied Industrial Research
   • CUTRIC conducts on demand global scans of technology and state of the art reports on LCSM.
   • CUTRIC supports the optimization of public and private fleets through descriptive, predictive, and analytic data.
   • CUTRIC delivers industrially-relevant and municipally-oriented applied research at non-for-profit rates. Examples include EV charging systems localization and mapping, GHG emissions modelling for mobile (e.g., transit) and stationary sources (e.g., buildings). For more information please visit our Projects page.
   • CUTRIC has developed an in house modelling tool to predict the performance of alternative propulsion urban vehicles on transit routes. Each transit route is modelled according to different utilization scenarios reflecting seasonal variations, route topography and ridership. Battery electric buses, hydrogen fuel cell electric buses as well as autonomous electric shuttles can be modelled using proprietary powertrain design information from the manufacturers. The performances of these powertrains can then be compared to each other and/or to the ones of diesel buses. For more information please contact us at [email protected].
   • CUTRIC provides up-to-date and dynamic education on new technologies in LCSM and provides technical training and professional development units for capacity building (launching 2019).