Oshawa Power is proud to announce that we are charging forward with the introduction of four new Ford F150 PowerBoost hybrid trucks to our light duty fleet.
Serving more than 61,000 customers across 145km2, our fleet plays an integral part in the service we provide to the City of Oshawa. Making up the largest portion of our fleet, our light-duty trucks are used on a daily basis for general transportation and lighter duty work. With the introduction of our new hybrid trucks, crew members will traverse our city with the help of an onboard electric battery powered by regenerative braking. This eco-friendly option will contribute to an increase of approximately 35% in fuel economy over previous fleet vehicles.
“As more and more of our customers make the switch to electric vehicles, we want to learn first-hand how we can transition our fleet to lower emissions and support a greener future,” explained Manager of Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) & Fleet, Wade Rowland. “Our goal is to eventually adopt a fully electric fleet, starting with our light-duty vehicles, without compromising our ability to safely complete the heavy duty work involved for our crew.”
Oshawa Power Manager of HSSE & Fleet, Wade Rowland, poses with one of the LDC’s newest hybrid pickups.
Accounting for greater than 30% of Ontario’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, transportation currently ranks as our province’s largest contributor to carbon emissions. With technological improvements and increased availability of low-carbon transportation alternatives, there is a substantial opportunity to create a cleaner future for our community through transportation electrification. As part of our responsibility to a low-carbon energy transition, we are committed to transitioning to a fully-electric light-duty fleet by 2030.
With plans to begin introducing fully electric models as current fleet vehicles reach end of useful life, we will also closely track GHG emissions from our overall fleet in order to effectively monitor and assess the impact of the transition on our overall emissions.
Our new hybrid trucks are not just a symbol of change; they are a tangible embodiment of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. In Ontario, switching to an electric vehicle (EV) can lower GHG emissions from personal transportation by up to 95%. By integrating hybrid, and eventually fully electric, trucks into our fleet, we hope to inspire others in the community to embrace sustainable transportation alternatives and contribute to building a cleaner, more sustainable local community.
