Funding for French Canadian fleets
Earth Day Canada and Quebec’s minister of Transport Chantal Rouleau recently revealed a program that makes it easier for fleet companies to transition to electric vehicles.
Through the Transition Wow program, Earth Day Canada and the Quebec government said it will offer support for fleet managers that take part in the program to transition cargo vans and SUVs into EV equivalents by offering needs assessments, vehicle maintenance services and installing nearby charging stations.
“Cargo vans and SUVs are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec. Our goal with Transition Wow is to offer a quick and easy solution to this issue, which will accelerate the sector’s energy transition,” Pierre Lussierm director of Earth Day Canada said.
Earth Day Canada said its goal is to have 50 zero emission vans within the next three years. In 2018, the organization converted its first four refrigerated cargo vans and SUVs in the country to electric vehicles in collaboration with IGA retailers. It wants to expand the program across the country.
For more information on Transition Wow, click here.
Taking EVs to the Territories
The federal government recently announced $48,500 in funding for the government of Yukon to raise awareness about zero-emission vehicles to help transition toward a clean-energy future.
The funding supports the territory’s first-ever EV Discovery Day, which included a trade show featuring local dealers and owners highlight EVs as viable options—even in northern climages. The initiative also included an educational exhibit at the Yukon Transportation Museum and promoton materials near existing charging stations.
EV Discovery Day was organized in partnership with the Government of Yukon and the Yukon Transportation Museum, whose joint contributions bring the project’s total funding to $97,000.
“Investments such as this will help Yukoners make greener choices, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bringing us closer to a zero-emission future,” said Larry Bagnell, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Economic Development in a prepared statement.
Supplier stepping up
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD says it is operating the ‘world’s largest face mask plant,’ less than a month after starting production in response to Wuhan, China’s coronavirus outbreak.
According to the company, the factory is capable of producing up to 300,000 bottles of hand sanitizer gels and five million face masks per day—equivalent to a quarter of China’s entire production capacity for the materials.
BYD also claims it was able to begin mask production within seven days of deciding to launch—it suggests that market would normally take 15 to 30 days to manufacter a mask-producing machine and begin output.
The company is shipping it medical-grade hand sanitizers to medical staff in hospitals and agencies across Canada.
As of March 20, China has suffered 81,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 3,250 deaths as a result of the virus.
