Clarington has added seven new electric vehicles (EVs) to its light-duty fleet and eight new charging stations for corporate and public use as it continues to take action to reduce corporate carbon emissions.
The purchase of the new EVs is a key step outlined in Clarington’s Five-Year Electric Vehicle Action Plan (EVAP), said a municipal statement.
The plan sets out the future transition of the municipal fleet to zero-emissions electric vehicles and calls for the replacement of Clarington’s light-duty fleet vehicles by 2026, as existing fleet vehicles reach the end of their service life. The EVAP will also guide the expansion of the EV charging network to include 60 charging points across the municipality by the end of 2026 to support the municipal fleet and public vehicles.
“Each new EV charging point is a welcome addition to the community as more people switch to electric and hybrid vehicles in the years to come. The federal government set a target to have all passenger vehicles sold in Canada be zero emissions by 2035. We must ensure that Clarington has the infrastructure to support this important goal and continue our efforts to respond to climate change,” said Clarington’s Energy and Climate Change Response Coordinator Doran Hoge.
To help support that goal, the municipality has installed eight new EV charging points at Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex in Bowmanville. The charging points are available for public use during the day and will charge Clarington’s EV fleet at night. The municipality has a total of 10 electric vehicles currently in use by various departments.
Transportation is one of the most significant contributors to pollution and climate change. As outlined in the EVAP, fleet vehicles are responsible for 13.8 per cent of municipal greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation is responsible for approximately 47 per cent of region-wide emissions.
The new vehicles were funded from building permit fees and will save the municipality money in both fuel and maintenance costs.