The City of Medicine Hat, Alberta has added two new electric vehicles (EVs) to its municipal fleet, as well as a level 2 charging station to support the EVs.
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and find operational cost savings and efficiencies, the city purchased a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt and 2020 Hyundai Kona.
A grant program available through the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC) provided $30,000 towards the purchase of both the EVs and the charging station.
The city was also able to take advantage of the federal iZEV rebate to save another $10,000 on the purchase.
“We realize significant cost savings with each electric vehicle added to the city’s fleet. In both fuel and maintenance costs, we have estimated that we’ll see savings of up to 80 per cent compared to a traditional fuel vehicle. In addition, switching to electric vehicles will eliminate operational emissions, leading to a reduction in environmental impact,” said Cory Earle, Manager of Fleet Services.
The Bolt and Kona add to the city’s fleet of EVs already in use, which include scissor lifts, fork lifts, small utility vehicles, and two electric ice resurfacers.
Medicine Hat plans to continue to invest in electric and hybrid vehicles to help reduce operational costs and reduce GHG emissions in the future.
