NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 Canada Post depot is the first in the country to have an all-electric corporate delivery fleet.
The Crown corporation held a press conference Thursday, March 9, at the East Wellington Road depot, announcing that the depot will utilize 14 fully electric Ford cargo vans for collection and delivery. Canada Post is calling Nanaimo a B次元官网网址渢est locationB次元官网网址� for the all-electric B次元官网网址渓ast-mileB次元官网网址� delivery.
B次元官网网址淭his is an important first step,B次元官网网址� said Doug Ettinger, Canada Post president and CEO. B次元官网网址淚 think the employees here are really excited. ItB次元官网网址檚 only 14 electric vehicles here, but itB次元官网网址檚 14 that weB次元官网网址檙e going to learn from. WeB次元官网网址檙e going to figure out how best to charge them, how much energy they use on the local utility, how they perform. We think theyB次元官网网址檙e going to perform even better than the current vehicles.B次元官网网址�
In addition to B.C., electric vehicles will be rolled out in Quebec shortly. Ettinger said provinces with B次元官网网址渃lean electricity gridsB次元官网网址� are being targeted initially.
Total costs for vehicles and infrastructure were not available, but the CEO said the vehicles are B次元官网网址渨ell over $100,000B次元官网网址� each.
Sally Dam, Canada Post director of urban delivery strategies, said the cargo vans meet the needs of postal workers.
B次元官网网址淲e actually looked for a vehicle that had enough range for what our delivery agents are actually consuming in a day B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 got a 68-kilowatt hour battery,B次元官网网址� said Dam.B次元官网网址� Its published range is about 190 kilometres on that 68-kilowatt hour battery, so for our delivery agents, typically a route of no more than 50 kilometres a day. So thereB次元官网网址檚 more than sufficient range available on these vehicles.B次元官网网址�
Level 2 charge stations will allow the vehicles to run, according to Dam, with one station having the ability to charge two vehicles at B次元官网网址渕edium speed.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hese are typical charging stations that you would find at your home B次元官网网址� the ones that we have here are 19.2 kilowatts, and theyB次元官网网址檙e shared among the two ports. But each one can deliver a power output of 9.6. So based on that 9.6 kilowatt power output, we can charge the vehicle from zero to 100 in about eight hours,B次元官网网址� said Dam.
Lessons learned in Nanaimo will benefit Canada Post outlets across the country, according to Ettinger and Dam.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to be using the details to test out some of those different types of scenarios of how weB次元官网网址檙e going to operate our electric fleet,B次元官网网址� Dam said. B次元官网网址淪o determining if we are going to need to charge them on a nightly basis, how much energy are they going to be consuming on a daily basis, a lot of these data points are going to inform us of how weB次元官网网址檙e going to move forward to all of our other sites.B次元官网网址�
Ettinger said workers will be covering the same routes as previously.
B次元官网网址淛ust instead of a gas vehicle, itB次元官网网址檚 an electric vehicle, quieter in the neighbourhood, smooth ride and itB次元官网网址檒l be great for the drivers in particular,B次元官网网址� said Ettinger.
He said Canada Post has plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, with a commitment to electrifying half its national fleet of approximately 14,000 vehicles by 2030 and the entire fleet by 2040.
Sheryl Armstrong, City of Nanaimo councillor, is in favour of electrifying vehicles, but said ethical issues arise when it comes to how some of the materials were procured, particularly from Congo or Chile.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 a very good move B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檓 hoping that as we move forward to electrification in Canada that weB次元官网网址檙e ensuring that our minerals are coming from places where theyB次元官网网址檙e being environmentally and ethically sourced,B次元官网网址� said Armstrong.
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