Vancouver, British Columbia — A new acquisition has expanded Vancouver Community College (VCC)’s Automotive Service Technician curriculum to include fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), in addition to EV and fossil fuel vehicle repair and servicing.
In an arrangement with Toyota Canada, VCC received a Toyota Mirai, one of the first FCEVs for the Canadian market. These vehicles mix hydrogen with oxygen in the air, creating electricity that powers the vehicle. The only by-product emitted is water, making it a zero-emission alternative to traditional gasoline-based vehicles.
This strategy of preparing students for a future with new, carbon-neutral technologies falls in line with the province’s Hydrogen Strategy which will promote job creation in the clean tech industry, along with EV and FCEV adoption. Taxes and other regulations may shift the British Columbian market towards greener vehicles even faster than anticipated.
According to the school’s press release, the college’s Automotive Service Technician program oversees one of the largest working garages in the province and more than 600 students have graduated in the last two years alone.
VCC is also the first academic member to join Hydrogen BC, the regional branch of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA).
