Canada Post to have an all-electric fleet by 2040

Source: | · THE GLOBE AND MAIL · | June 9, 2022

Source: A Canada Post Westward Max-EV delivery vehicle is shown after a news conference on the postal service’s plans to transform their fleet of 14,000 vehicles, in Ottawa on June 9, 2022.JUSTIN TANG/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Canada Post says it will transform its fleet of vehicles to be fully electric by 2040, spelling out details Thursday on steps it will take to achieve its target.

The Crown corporation said the electrification of its 14,000 vehicles will serve its commitment to reduce its environmental footprint and reach net-zero emissions by 2050, earmarking $1-billion to do so.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat this one and the size of this challenge for us. We’re a very big national organization with operations from coast to coast to coast. We’re literally everywhere, and then some. And that comes with a large carbon footprint,” said Doug Ettinger, president and CEO of Canada Post.

However, he noted that the corporation’s features also mean “there’s potential to do a lot of good there.”

Other steps to cut emissions include refitting buildings to make them more energy-efficient, upgrading equipment, and building new net-zero buildings.

Ettinger said its road map to get there is based on expertise and the availability of electric vehicles, which are currently not easy to acquire because of the pandemic and the computer chip shortage.

“Everybody is sort of interested in the space right now. Demand is extremely high and supply is extremely low,” he said.