2.1.2Plan and begin to implement a transition to zero emission vehicles for municipal fleets, working towards a goal of at least half of municipal vehicles being zero emissions by 2030

Since businesses and households are being asked to convert at least 50% of vehicles to zero emission vehicles by 2030, municipalities can do their part by meeting or exceeding that target in their corporate fleets. Important initial steps in this work include identifying barriers to fleet transition, gathering and analyzing data on fleet performance and conversion options, and identifying funding for this work. Particular focus should be given to the vehicles that produce the most GHGs.

This action will be led by the Region of Waterloo and Area Municipalities Please see below for the most recent publicly available updates.

THE REGION OF WATERLOO

The Region's Corporate fleet strategy is in the preliminary stages of development.

CITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The City of Cambridge's corporate vehicle and equipment emissions are 35% of Cambridge's total GHG emissions. Given asset management and vehicle lifespans, as well as current unavailability of specialized and heavy-duty zero emissions vehicles (eg. electric snowplows) it is not possible to convert 50% of municipal vehicles by 2030 given that 50% of the fleet is heavy-duty for which no current vehicles exist that meet specifications.

• The corporate Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan Actions F1-F3 call for Fleet Data Analysis, Low Carbon Master Plan, and Rightsizing Procedures.
• The City is developing a fleet strategy and purchasing vehicles and equipment as a standard practice along with charging infrastructure (in 2023 the City has 8 level 2 ports dedicated to fleet use) in addition to the 75 stations at 51 locations that are publicly-accessible chargers.
• The City currently (2023) has 14 electric vehicles and three ice resurfacers. Autonomous mowing units and electric equipment are also in operational use.
• The City will be conducting a pathway feasibility study on its 10 highest-emitting buildings and the scope includes considering additional charge station locations for both public and corporate use at these locations.

CITY OF KITCHENER

Recognizing that not all vehicles have a zero-emission option, the City of Kitchener continues to advance the approach to electrify where and when the option is available. As of 2023, 50% of the passenger car fleet has been electrified (Battery Electric Vehicle or BEV) resulting in a 75% reduction in maintenance and fuel costs compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles (comparison included 6 BEV and 6 ICE within similar job function and daily kilometers driven)

In 2022 The City reported 103 electric vehicles/equipment assets representing an estimated GHG savings over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles/equipment of approximately 146 mtCO2eq/year. And in 2023, the City purchased another additional 24 electric units classified as small handheld equipment (chainsaws, line trimmers, pole pruners, and leaf blowers).

The City’s Preventive Maintenance policy and Utilization Policy combine to ensure vehicles and equipment are running optimally/efficiently and meet expectations in terms of use – ensuring vehicles and equipment are not added unnecessarily to the fleet without justification. The Green Fleet policy ensures the City purchase’s environmentally friendly alternatives and investigates new product innovations. The City is able to monitor adherence to these policies through the use of telematics which monitors fuel consumption, utilization as well as identifies poor driving behaviours that result in increased fuel consumption (e.g. excessive idling, hard acceleration, hard braking, speeding etc.).

The City of Kitchener fleet includes:

• 12 Electric Cars (Car fleet now at 50% electric)
• 2 Electric Cargo Vans
• 14 Hybrid SUVs
• 6 E-bikes (By-law)
• 10 electric utility vehicles
• Assortment of line trimmers, leaf blowers, chainsaws and pole pruners.

New in 2023:

• added 24 handheld electric units
• 33% of new small handheld units were electric
• Fire Services has transitioned to electric equipment for grass maintenance at all stations
• February 2020 - City of Kitchener applied for funding to expand the City’s charging infrastructure through the Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP)
• 4 Public Facing (8 connections) – Level 2
• 16 Fleet Facing (32 connections) – Level 2
• 1 Fleet Facing (1 Connector) - Level 3

CITY OF WATERLOO

The City of Waterloo has hired a fleet manager who is working towards this transition.

• The City of Waterloo currently owns or has purchased 14 fully electric vehicles (including 4 UTVs) and two hybrid vehicles.
• All building standards inspection vehicles are electric.
• In 2023 Council approved a $25,000/year for 10 year budget for electric vehicles and charging stations.

Addition GHG-reduction initiatives include:

• Diesel engines purchased conform to the lowest GHG gas output that meet operational needs.
• Fleet is installing telematics equipment to reduce idling, utilization, speeding, hard breaking, and hard cornering to reduce fuel use (currently in 180 vehicles).
• The City of Waterloo has purchased a 60 foot bucket truck with electric hydraulics to avoid emissions during long idle times.
• Two fleet vehicles had solar power installations in 2020.
• Fleet has introduced a “right-sizing” exercise when purchasing new vehicles to avoid over-sizing vehicles.
• Fleet uses the EMDEC fleet management system to properly track service needs and keep the vehicles running as efficiently as possible.
• In 2022 the City of Waterloo purchased its first electric lawnmower.

TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH

The Township of Woolwich is working towards the design of a new operations facility that will accommodate EV charging infrastructure and facilitate the transition to zero emissions vehicles.