AI-powered, zero-emission transit toolkit receives $1M in federal funding
A project led by the McMaster Institute for Transportation Logistics has received $1M in federal funding to develop an AI-powered toolkit that will boost zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) use in public transportation.
BY Christine Rankin, Faculty of Engineering
August 1, 2025
A McMaster project that is developing an AI-powered toolkit to boost zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) use in public transportation has been awarded more than $1 million in federal funding.
The web-based toolkit project, led by the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL), was awarded the funding through Natural Resource Canada’s Energy Innovation Program On-road Transportation Decarbonization this week.
Led by MITL director Moataz Mohamed, the e-Transit Orchestrator toolkit will help Canadian public transit agencies and municipalities accelerate their shift to battery electric bus systems.
The platform will enable transit providers to simulate, test and optimize fleet composition, charging infrastructure and operational strategies, explained Mohamed, a civil engineering associate professor in the Faculty of Engineering.
“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 in Quebec, and Niagara Region Transit to work on moving toward more sustainable transportation.
Co-principal investigators include Bruce Newbold from the Faculty of Science, and Mohamed Hassan, an assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering.
Cost-effective systems
The e-Transit Orchestator and the other projects that received funding through the Energy Innovation Program focus on the most impactful technologies to maximize both economic and environmental outcomes.
The MITL project will focus on offering system-level planning for electric buses and charging infrastructure.
The configurations it provides align with electricity prices and greenhouse gas intensity in the grid: Whether the grid is being fuelled by mostly clean energy or fossil fuels.
Doing so minimizes both operating costs and greenhouse gas impact, Mohamed explained.
“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 resilience
In light of the importance of public transit in urban cities, the toolkit’s design emphasizes resilience.
The configurations and operational schedules the toolkit creates will keep operating during brief power outages or unplanned maintenance.
It also allows the transit groups to design and define specific safeguard measures, such as protection against longer outages.
The project is market-ready with features that can be tailored to each transit agency, Mohamed said.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister 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,” Hodgson said.
“We’re investing in Canadian ideas to accelerate emissions reductions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which strengthens our supply chains and energy independence.”
As part of its world-class research on transportation and logistics, 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.
