RE:Barrie Taxpayers Dropping 1.7 Mill On An Electric BusAll municipalities will go in this direction. They can't afford not to.
Not sure why they did not pick a hydrogen powered fleet option.
FiddyFiddyOddz wrote: https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/10430176-barrie-council-approves-plans-for-environmentally-friendly-transit-corporate-fleet-conversions/ Barrie council approves plans for environmentally friendly transit, corporate fleet conversions
Two full-time staffers to be hired
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
The City of Barrie is looking to drastically reduce its carbon footprint within the next few years.
Late last month, council approved motions that get the wheels turning on plans to convert the city’s corporate and transit fleets to more environmentally friendly vehicles.
The corporate fleet currently includes more than 700 vehicles and pieces of equipment that range from pickup trucks to snow plows. Council's decision could mean an eventual shift to battery electric or compressed natural gas technology for much of that fleet. An implementation plan will be developed by the third quarter of 2023.
Meanwhile, Barrie Transit will spend about $1.7 million to purchase a battery electric bus and accompanying charging infrastructure this year. The city has also agreed to join the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium, and staff have been granted permission to submit applications for any future funding opportunities that may help reduce the municipality’s capital expenses related to the transit conversion.
The municipality will hire two full-time-equivalent staffers to develop and execute separate conversion plans for the corporate and transit fleets, at a cost of about $150,000 per position. Both new employees should be in place by November.