Walmart is now using electric semi trucks to stock some BC stores, but Vancouver Island will have to continue relying on fossil fuels.
Walmart Canada has added three electric Freightliner trucks to its BC fleet, the first in Canada. They will be based at the Surrey distribution centre.
But while electric vehicles are advancing quickly, for the transportation sector, they are at least a decade away from being practical, says the head of the BC Trucking Association. President Dave Earle says battery-powered trucks will be useful for short hauls but long-haul trucking will still rely on traditional diesel engines.
He says realistic ranges for the trucks are around 250 kilometres, and they require a lot of infrastructure to be practical which does not yet exist.
Manufactured by transport industry titan Freightliner, their manufacturing specs say they can travel up to 400 kilometres on a single charge. The Cascadia electric system they use can be 80% recharged in about 90 minutes, and they are capable of hauling the heaviest loads allowed on BC highways.
Walmart anticipates the trucks will travel more than 100 thousand kilometres annually. Walmart Canada director of transportation says this is the first step towards meeting the company’s goal of having its fleet 100% powered by green energy.
