Electric logging trucks will be driving Vancouver Island backroads in the near future.

Mosaic Forest Management has announced a new pilot project with Parksville-based electric vehicle company EcoWest Driven to bring on three Tesla electric trucks for their fleet.

Announced last week, Mosaic will join fellow Island company Quality Foods in testing the electric vehicles through the EcoWest partnership. The company will be testing the trucks to see if they can be used reliably for logging practices on the Island. When the trucks need to charge, theyB次元官网网址檒l do so at EcoWestB次元官网网址檚 location in Parksville, but as vice-president of forest and logistics and chief forester Domenico Iannidinardo says, they may not need to charge that often at all.

B次元官网网址淭he neat thing about this technology is that heading up a hill empty, and then coming down with a load of logs with independent motors on each wheel that can translate that braking force into regenerated electrical energy actually should be able to charge the battery on the way down,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e might not even need to plug in. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the kind of thing weB次元官网网址檙e testing.B次元官网网址�

Eventually, if all goes well, Iannidinardo said that there could be more localized charging hubs, but since the trucks are bigger with different batteries they cannot be charged at a typical electric vehicle charging spot.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 10 or 20 times more (power) than you can get at a household plug-in,B次元官网网址� he said.

If the pilot project is successful, the implications for the company could be quite large, Iannidinardo said.

B次元官网网址淭his January we confirmed a full organizational carbon footprint for Mosaic, and our long-haul fleet is a noteworthy component of our tailpipe emissions as a company,B次元官网网址� he explained. B次元官网网址淲e operate about 300 trucks through our contractors and our company fleet. Over time, if this is successful, thereB次元官网网址檚 quite a significant potential to reduce our emissions.B次元官网网址�

The company has placed an order for the trucks, but do not have a concrete date of delivery.

The trucks themselves are going to be quite futuristic compared to a typical logging truck. For one thing, the driver will be sitting in the middle of the cab, B次元官网网址渒ind of like a rocket ship,B次元官网网址� Iannidinardo said.

Since the trucks are new technology, the company will test them in various ways to ensure theyB次元官网网址檙e viable as an option moving forward.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got lots to try out, especially with the mud and the rocks that are involved in forestry roads,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e going to look a little less shiny after the pilot.B次元官网网址�

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