The City of Vernon has become one of the first municipalities in British Columbia to put into service a full-size, high-roof, 100% Electric Ford Transit tradespersons van.
The new electric utility van joins a growing fleet of City-owned, fully electric vehicles, which includes three cars, one utility terrain vehicle (UTV), and six bicycles.
“Council is committed to taking action that will directly help us meet the goals in Vernon’s Climate Action Plan,” said Mayor Victor Cumming. “One significant way we can help move the needle is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. By bolstering our electric vehicle fleet, the City is taking another important step in a tangible way to help meet our targets.”
According to data collected for the development of the Climate Action Plan, the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Vernon is the driving of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles (63%).
The new electric utility van can travel up to 200 kilometers on a single charge and will reduce the municipality’s fuel consumption by an estimated 16,800 litres, the equivalent to 38,640 kg of CO2, over a 10-year period.
The new electric utility van replaces an older model service vehicle that was scheduled for replacement.
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