Room: International AB
Sponsor(s)
 
Session Description
ZEB User Conference – Session 4: Vehicle and Infrastructure Design & Updates
Stream: Leadership Stream
Moderator: Mike Macas – TTC
Speakers/Presenters:
Opening Speaker:
PowerON Energy Solutions – Tyler Seed
OEM Propulsion Partners
1. Nova Bus – Mike Coote and Benoit St. Cyr
2. Solaris – Julio Mayorga
3. New Flyer – Brydon Owen
4. Letenda – Nicolas Letendre
5. City View/Eldorado – Joseph D’urso
6. Karsan/Damera – Deniz Cetin/Chris Pulford
Charging Partners
1. Siemens – Ray Little
3. ABB – Moneeb Durrani
Our final session brings us to the core technologies behind zero?emission bus operations—the engineering and system design choices that shape everything discussed throughout the day.
Our OEM propulsion and charging partners, along with infrastructure and energy management specialists, will share how their solutions are evolving in response to agency feedback and lessons learned from deployments across North America and internationally.
We will explore:
– advances in battery chemistry and energy density
– improvements in thermal management and detection technologies
– high?voltage architecture and multiple cooling loops
– trends in CAN bus complexity and data integration
– evolution of diagnostic pathways and troubleshooting tools
– maintainability considerations and component lifecycle impacts
– interaction between vehicles, charging systems, and energy management platforms
Many of the operational and training challenges discussed earlier trace back to design decisions made during vehicle and charging system development. This session provides agencies with insight into how those designs are changing—and what to expect as fleets scale.
This session closes the loop on the day:
from working safely around the equipment, to training and operations, to understanding how system design influences daily performance and long?term success.
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s)
Brydon Owen – Director, Electrical Engineering, New Flyer and Motor Coach Industries
Bio:
Brydon Owen joined New Flyer in 2005, and since then has advanced through engineering leadership roles in design, electrical integration, electrical engineering, production, and new product development, most recently serving as Chief Engineer, Electrical Engineering. In his current role as Director of Electrical Engineering, Brydon oversees development and execution of New FlyerÂ’s long-term technology roadmap, building on his foundation of zero-emission bus development by strengthening its electrical architecture, software, and controls in alignment with ISO26262 and emerging vehicle cybersecurity industry standards. Brydon is an expert in advanced control systems and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (B.Sc.) from the University of Manitoba, a Master of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (MASc) from the University of Toronto and is an accredited Professional Engineer. He remains an active member of APEGM, IEEE, and SAE, and in 2018 was named to Mass TransitÂ’s prestigious Top 40 Under 40 list. Brydon is also a certified functional safety professional and has complete Level 2 ISO21434 Automotive Vehicle Cybersecurity Professional Certification Training.
Benoit Saint-Cyr – Product Manager LFS & LFSe+, Nova Bus
Bio:
Mike Coote – Nova Bus
Bio:
Julio Mayorga – Commercial Director, Solaris North America
Bio:
Julio Mayorga is Commercial Director at Solaris Bus North America. Julio has over 30 years experience in different industrial sectors including over 15 years in the transit bus industry in North America and Europe. He is a mechanical engineer by McGill University and has work on diverse technical fields, including vehicle design, operations, and project management. Julio has been working over the last few years in bringing Solaris transit buses to North America, both to Canada and the US, with already several contracts awarded, and delivering the first vehicles in the second half of 2026. Solaris’ offering in North America will consist of exclusively zero-emission vehicles (battery-electric, hydrogen and trolley buses), both 40ft and 60ft.
Bio:
Ray Little – eMobility Specialist, Siemens
Bio:
Ray Little has been in the vehicle fleet business for over 30 years and has been assisting fleet operators decarbonize their vehicles for over 20 years. Ray’s claim to fame is that he is bilingual. He speaks both Diesel Litres and Kilowatts per kilometer. He helps fleet operators plan their zero emissions path while optimizing cost of operations. Ray is an expert in electric vehicles/infrastructure, proud father (of two engineers), curling enthusiast, and cheers for both the Raptors and Oilers!
Moneeb Durrani – Head of Sales NAM, Transit OEMs and Aftermarket, ABB
Bio:
Chris Pulford – Manager, EV Initiatives, Damera Bus Sales Canada Corp
Bio:
Chris Pulford is a dynamic business leader with a strong track record in launching innovative products across banking, technology, and transportation sectors. With an MBA from the University of Windsor Chris has focused on the automotive industry and has a deep passion for sustainable mobility. Chris works at the intersection of electric and autonomous bus technologies, driving the adoption of next-generation transit solutions.
Deniz Cetin – Chief Commercial Officer, Karsan Automotive
Bio:
After completing his undergraduate education at Y?ld?z Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Deniz Çetin received MBA education from Goldey-Beacom College in the USA and then completed his master’s degree in Automotive Engineering at Bo?aziçi University.
Starting his professional life as a design engineer, Mr. Çetin served at various positions in automotive industry including, International Markets After-Sales Coordinator, Customer Relations Manager, Spare Parts Sales Manager and North America Country Manager. After serving at General Motors Turkey, Mercedes-Benz Türk A.?., Temsa, Mr Çetin is the Chief Commercial Officer of Karsan as of 2020.
Moderator(s)
Mike Macas – Chief Engineer, Bus & Automotive, Vehicle Engineering, Vehicle Programs Dept, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Bio:
Mike Macas is Chief Engineer of Vehicles at the Toronto Transit Commission, where he oversees procurements, engineering and performance for the TTCÂ’s bus fleet. He has led the transition to low and zero-emission technologies, including implementing battery-electric buses and addressing operational challenges. Prior to TTC, Mike spent nearly a decade in product engineering at a major automotive OEM, specializing in chassis systems design and testing.