EcoWest Driven is teaming up with two local companies to bring the Tesla Semi to Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Mosaic Forest Management has placed an order for three electric Tesla Semi trucks. When they arrive the forestry company will launch a pilot project that will see the trucks used for log hauling on the island, something company vice-president Domenico Ianndinardo says will be a world’s first.
“To our knowledge, there’s no one in the world hauling logs with fully electric trucks in the mountainous terrain that we have here so this would be a global first for fully electrified full log haul trucks,” he told CHEK News.
The Tesla Semi will be a perfect for Vancouver Island’s forestry sector, where most of the trees are obtained at higher elevations. The electric trucks will head up the mountain empty, and come back down fully loaded allowing the regenerative braking to put energy back into the battery, reducing the need for charging.
If the pilot project is successful, Mosaic plans to electrify their entire fleet of 300 logging trucks. The company is hoping to receive their Tesla Semi trucks next year.
Another Vancouver Island company, Quality Foods, has also placed an order for Tesla Semi trucks. With the projected range of 800km or more, the grocery store chain will be able to make rounds trips to all their stores without the need for charging.
To support the expected fleet of Tesla Semi trucks coming to Vancouver Island, another local company is building a commercial truck charging station in Parksville. EcoWest Driven is expecting to begin construction of 45 commercial charging stations and a service garage later this fall.
“We have begun the process of creating charging infrastructure and a new electric vehicle maintenance facility in Parksville, BC to accommodate this new demand for emission-free heavy haulers,” said Jarvis Shaver, Director and Co-Founder of EcoWest Driven.
After several years of delays, Tesla is hoping to begin the first deliveries later this year. Production will likely be limited this year due to battery cell constraints, before ramping up in 2021.
Tesla this week published a job posting seeking Canada’s first Tesla Semi Service Technician, which will be based in Mississauga, Ontario.
