CUTRIC sets standard for zero-emission transit modelling
New RoutΣ.i™ 2.0 toolset helps clients reach decarbonization and electrification goals by precisely predicting procurement costs and community impact
January 27, 2021, Toronto – The Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) is proud to announce the launch of RoutΣ.i™ 2.0. This uniquely powerful toolset helps transit agencies, utilities and other allied organizations reach their decarbonization and electrification goals scientifically and impartially, while assisting them in accessing government funding.
“RoutΣ.i™ 2.0 is the culmination of our sophisticated modelling tools,” said Josipa Petrunic, CUTRIC President and CEO. “Its pinpoint analysis of diverse data sets allows our clients to precisely predict the procurement and deployment costs of battery electric buses, hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses, zero-emissions natural gas buses and autonomous shuttles, and how these decarbonized vehicles will work in their communities based on local conditions.”
Since its launch in 2016, CUTRIC’s original RoutΣ.i™ toolset has provided dozens of transit agencies with unprecedented insights into considerations ranging from routes and schedules to refuelling and utility requirements. “Our city council is very keen to invest in transit electrification, but they want to make decisions based on data and scientific evidence,” said Sue Connor, Director of Transit for the City of Burlington. ““RoutΣ.i™ has helped us gather this data, and I’m looking forward to refining it further, looking at hydrogen as an option for our fleet, and generally getting the best bang for our buck with RoutΣ.i™ 2.0.”
Martin Lapointe, Chief of Electrification and Embedded System Projects at the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) in Quebec City, stressed the importance of working with non-profit consortiums like CUTRIC: “Transparency, neutrality and expertise are essential when you’re validating a feasibility study focused on saving millions of dollars in procurement and deployment costs.”
The highly customizable RoutΣ.i™ 2.0 toolset offers a holistic solution encompassing the most advanced concepts in mathematics, physics, engineering and social sciences. Validated against real-time electric, hydrogen and natural gas bus data shared by transit agencies across North America, it breaks new ground by:
- Promoting social equity by determining which neighbourhoods would benefit most from eliminating emissions and noise pollution.
- Analyzing how the COVID-19 pandemic, and future crises, may affect vehicle and infrastructure requirements.
- Helping jurisdictions achieve specific climate action, emissions-reduction and vehicle deployment targets, including the Government of Canada’s national goal of having 5,000 zero-emission buses on the road by 2024.
“Transit electrification and decarbonization is a complex process, but RoutΣ.i™ 2.0 makes it simple,” Petrunic says. “Whether you’re a transit agency, utility, consulting firm or government representative, CUTRIC will work with you to ensure you are 100 percent satisfied with the outcomes of RoutΣ.i™ 2.0 feasibility studies and rollout plans.”
About CUTRIC
CUTRIC is a non-profit innovation consortium with a vision to make Canada a global leader in low-carbon smart mobility. Through industry-led collaborative research and large-scale technology integration trials, CUTRIC is working to achieve this goal by focusing on technology development, integration and standardization of low-carbon propulsion systems and smart vehicle systems, data-driven analytics in mobility, and cybersecurity in transportation.
Media contact:
Kathleen Reid
604-724-1242