Electric vehicles to be tested by Toronto as part of the FleetWise initiative
We’re especially pleased to read that Chevrolet have jumped in with both feet in joining the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) by supporting the project in making the Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA) automobile fleet as environmentally friendly as possible. Chevrolet are providing test drives for the new electric Chevrolet Volt to vehicle fleet managers throughout the GTA.
It’s an exciting step in the right direction as company vehicles (or fleets) make up a remarkably high number of all vehicles on the road and initiatives such as this can make major inroads for alternate fuel vehicles to change the driving landscape. Julia Langer, TAF’s Chief Executive Officer explains:
“Plug-in electric vehicles offer a tremendous opportunity for commercial vehicle fleet operators in the GTA to dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. By taking a leadership position and committing to green their fleets, our EV300 partners are enabling Toronto to benefit from the superior environmental performance of plug-in vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt.”
The Volt is receiving encouraging reviews and importantly the extended range of the vehicle makes it the one of the first mass produced cars that will provide a viable alternative for fleet operations. The Volt is powered by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric drive unit that offers electric range between 40 and 80 km in addition to the traditional 1.4L gasoline-powered engine extends the range up to an additional 500 km on a full tank of fuel by operating the vehicle’s electric drive system until the car is recharged. For local fleet use its realistic to say most of the distance driven will be via the battery but the flexibility provided means vehicles being ‘stranded’ is not a concern.
It is expected that Chevrolet Canada will be looking to assess and develop numerous fleet partnerships throughout the country as cities, municipalities and businesses seek to implement more ambitious carbon emission reduction programs while understanding the need for service vehicles is not likely to change. With many more electric vehicles scheduled to be added to the marker in the next 24 months fleet testing and sales could become an important proving ground for these vehicles.
The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) has for two decades been an advocate for changes in climate, air pollution and energy use in Toronto. They have helped Toronto save millions on energy costs whilst encouraging environmental awareness throughout healthier communities. You can learn more about them here and the FleetWise program here which aims to drive the adoption rate of electric vehicles upward throughout the city.
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I cannot understand why people feel developing cars that use massive amounts of electricity into non sustainable batteries is better than building cars that use a lower amount of fossil fuel in the country with worlds most fossil fuel?
Thanks for reading and your comment David. It’s a valid question and while I don’t have statistics to hand I imagine the positive tradeoff is based on the CO2 emissions for a vehicle being driven 20,000 km per year over its lifetime. If a gallon of gasoline is assumed to produce 8.8 kilograms (or 19.4 pounds) of CO2, in five years a gasoline vehicle will result in the emissions of about 17,500 kg of CO2.
I don’t know why the country with the most fossil fuel should change the logic, I see it as a global issue requiring a global solution. Perhaps the largest reason to consider alternate fuel vehicles is that oil won’t be forever and I accept that a solution beyond lithium batteries needs to be forthcoming.
Another factor for the ‘massive amounts of electricity’ you mention of course is the likely switch to more renewable energy sources in the home and workplace. I accept there are many ways to look at this but just burning more oil isn’t the solution for me.