Purolator and Canada Post amp up fleet electrification

The corporation has set aside $1 billion to also achieve net zero by 2050.

– Suromitra Sanatani chair of the Canada Post Corporation board of directors

conversion it has been working on with a step-van manufacturer.

By Emily Atkins

IN

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announcements last month, sister companies

Purolator and Canada Post unveiled new commitments to fleet electrification.

Purolator revealed it expects to invest approximately $1 billion to electrify its Canadian network over the next seven years. This includes a plan to purchase more than 3,500 fully electric last-mile delivery vehicles and the electrification of more than 60 terminals across Canada. The spending will be the company's largest network investment in its 63-year history, with more than $100 million to be invested in 2023 alone.

More than 100 all-electric vehicles will be added to the fleet this year, with an additional 150 coming in 2024. This new fleet comprises Ford E-Transit, Motiv Power Systems EPIC4 and BrightDrop Zevo 600 models.

In March, Purolator began deploying 25 Ford E-Transit vans in London, Ontario, Richmond, British Columbia, and Quebec City. A further 55 Motiv and 15 BrightDrop models, along with several lowspeed vehicles and electric cargo bikes (e-bikes), will be added later this year.

The moves are aimed at helping Purolator reach its decarbonization goals. It wants to reduce GHG emissions by 42 percent by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. The company will achieve this goal by electrifying 60 percent of its last-mile delivery vehicles and investing in alternative-fuels and low-carbon technologies. It also plans to reduce emissions from electricity by 100 percent through the use of renewable sources and by diverting more than 70 percent of its waste from landfill.

For its part, Canada Post opened its first all-electric distribution depot in Nanaimo, B.C. and took the wraps off an all-electric truck

The depot will use 14 fully electric cargo vans for collection and delivery services, replacing internal combustion vehicles. As part of Canada Post’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the company has committed to electrifying half of its national fleet of approximately 14,000 vehicles by 2030 and the entire fleet by 2040.

The corporation also unveiled the first all-electric C250 delivery truck at the Work Truck Week tradeshow. Custom-built for Canada Post by Morgan Olson, a walk-in step van body manufacturer, the C250 meets the rigorous demands of Canada Post’s delivery operations and safety requirements. While the C250 was initially developed as a gasoline model, Morgan Olson is currently developing a commercially available all-electric C250, which Canada Post is planning to test along with other electric vehicle options.

“The C250 is custom-built with employee safety, comfort and increased capacity in mind. Developed over several years, the vehicle is made to withstand the rigours of day-to-day use and to help streamline our operations for the long-term growth of our delivery business,” said Alexandre Brisson, vice-president, operations transformation, Canada Post.

The corporation has set aside $1 billion to also achieve net zero by 2050, said Suromitra Sanatani, chair of the board of directors. It will be spent on retrofitting facilities, constructing new net-zero carbon buildings, and sourcing renewable energy for its real estate and operations.