Renewable energy experts say N.W.T. government can do more to electrify its 1,088 vehicle fleet

Andrew Robinson, a renewable energy consultant, on his electric cargo bike in Yellowknife on April 26, 2024. A plug-in hybrid vehicle and two other electric bikes are parked in the background. (Liny Lamberink/CBC)

A small fraction of vehicles belonging to the Government of the Northwest Territories are hybrid electric — and renewable energy experts are urging the territory to do more to green its fleet.

The territorial government has 1,088 vehicles across its departments, according to data from the N.W.T.'s Department of Infrastructure.

The majority of those vehicles — 902, to be precise — are powered by gasoline. Diesel fuels 168 vehicles, and eight are hybrids that use a combination of gas and electricity.

Andrew Robinson, a renewable energy consultant who lives in Yellowknife, told CBC News the numbers reflect a bit of progress. "A few years ago, they had two [hybrids]," he said. "But that still leaves over 1,000 that could be hybrids, or plug-in hybrids or electric."

A spokesperson for the infrastructure department wrote in an email that light duty fleet vehicles are used for project and program delivery and light cargo transportation, while heavy duty vehicles are typically used for more specialized work — like fuel delivery and maintenance work for roads and airports.

Robinson said there are some things the territory does for which a fully electric vehicle isn't a good fit. In those cases, he says a plug-in hybrid is a better alternative because it can run on electricity within a community but can be switched to fuel for driving beyond it.

A plug-in hybrid vehicle in Yellowknife on April 26, 2024. In cases where a fully electric vehicle won't effectively do the job of a territorial government fleet vehicle, Robinson said a plug-in hybrid is an alternative. It can use electricity for in-town driving, but can be switched to fuel for longer trips or when charging won't be available. (Liny Lamberink/CBC)

Transportation accounted for 63 per cent of the N.W.T.'s greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, with heavy duty diesel vehicles generating more of those emissions than aviation.

Territory mulling EV procurement policy 

The territorial government is looking into the possibility of an electric vehicle procurement policy. According to its most recent energy initiatives report, $30,000 was allocated for that work in the last fiscal year.

That assessment work is still ongoing, according to the infrastructure department.

In an emailed statement, Infrastructure Minister Caroline Wawzonek said she was eager to review the findings. "I'm optimistic that their assessment will identify tangible opportunities to test the viability of EVs for the GNWT's fleet," she said.

"This is an area where technology is advancing quickly and opportunities for funding to support these changes are more readily available," said Wawzonek, citing Honda's announcement on Thursday that it would build an electric vehicle assembly plant and EV battery plant in Ontario.

That announcement is being hailed as Canada's first comprehensive electric vehicle supply chain.

Back in December, the federal government announced plans to phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

Robinson said a procurement policy could stipulate that the territory purchase the most efficient vehicle whenever a replacement is needed. Since fleet vehicles tend to have short lifespans, he said, such a policy would lead to an entire fleet of hybrid and electric vehicles in about eight to 10 years.

Things to consider

Sarah McBain, a senior transportation analyst with the Pembina Institute, a renewable energy think-tank, said one barrier to electrifying the territory's fleet is that much of the fleet consists of light and heavy duty trucks.

"There's a limited availability of truck options on the market," she said. "But we do see this quickly changing with automakers producing more electric trucks, and it's sort of just a matter of time until there's greater availability and choice."

A fully electric truck, with its front hood open. The spot where an internal combustion engine would go is, in the electric Ford F150 Lightning, turned into storage space. (Carson Asmundson/CBC)

The first fully electric trucks became available in Canada in 2022. Some jurisdictions are using electric vehicles to carry out services: electric school buses are being used in PEI and Ontario, and electric garbage trucks are being tested in Ontario and B.C.

In figuring out which fleet vehicles should be electrified first, McBain said it's critical to think of what jobs those vehicles perform and how they're used.

For example, fleet vehicles that travel short distances and come back to the same place at the end of the day would be easier to electrify than vehicles that travel long distances and don't dwell in a place for very long.

Electric school buses charging in London, Ont. in January 2023. (Kate Dubinski/CBC )

Robinson said school buses are a good candidate for electrification, stating that the territory is responsible for emissions generated by more than just its own corporate fleet.

"The school buses are privatized, but the GNWT (Government of the Northwest Territories) pays the bill. And so the GNWT says what kind of bus they want and the bus provider provides the bus," he said.

McBain, meanwhile, observed that the electrification of public fleets in bigger cities is "just taking hold" and she hopes that governments share knowledge with each other about how to use them efficiently.