The Town of Banff unveiled 10 new electric vehicles and equipment this week as part of the REV initiative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 30% below 2005 levels by 2030.
“Banff strives to be a model environmental community, where everything we do is guided by a goal to preserve and protect this special place,” said Banff Mayor Karen Sorensen. “The Responsible Energy Vehicle program, or REV, helps us assess vehicle needs, and we buy electric vehicles when we replace fossil-fuel-powered service vehicles that have reached the end of their lifecycle.”
The electric vehicles are projected to reduce GHG emissions by 11.94 tonnes every year, as compared to the fossil-fuel-powered vehicles they replaced. The green fleet also helps maintain clean air for our community.
The newest electric vehicles include an inspection vehicle for the Fire Department, two bylaw enforcement vehicles, and an ice resurfacer for the Fenlands arena. Other electric equipment includes a parkade sweeper and two e-bicycles for maintenance and inspections staff.
“We need to reduce emissions and our dependency on heavy-polluting fossil fuels, and this program helps us make strides to meet our goals of cutting GHGs by 80% by 2050,” said Sorensen. “Another big benefit of all these electric vehicles is – they are quite and there is no air pollution. It’s really important that we look at ways to preserve this pristine mountain air.”
Although 90% of the Alberta power grid comes from fossil fuels, approximately 25% of the electricity consumed by Town of Banff is from renewable sources.
The Town has six solar arrays on Town buildings with a combined capacity of 327 kW. The Town also purchases 20% of our electricity from certified green power.
Identical to e-vehicles for sale to consumers, the Town’s cost for electric vehicles is about 20% to 40% more than the gas-powered equivalent. However, with the much cheaper cost for electricity than fuel, and the cheaper cost for maintenance on an e-vehicle – because there are fewer moving parts – the cost of an e-vehicle roughly equals out in four to six years of operation.
People can see the branded REV vehicles humming around town in a diversity of service areas.
The 10 new electric vehicles and equipment are:
- A Kia Soul for facility crews
- An electric sweeper unit
- A Chevy Bolt for the Fire Department
- A Hybrid for operations
- A Bolt for the Fenlands Rec Centre crew
- 2 municipal enforcement vehicles
- An electric Ice Resurfacer
- 2 e-bikes for staff in Town Hall and Facilities