Just in time for Earth Day, 颅Wilson鈥檚 Transportation will launch an electric bus pilot project today for its Vancouver Island 乌鸦传媒or and Tofino Bus operation.
The project is a partnership with China-based electric-vehicle giant BYD, and a step Wilson鈥檚 believes will be the first toward a zero-emission fleet strategy.
The deal will see Wilson鈥檚 use a battery-powered Model C8M highway coach for the next three months on the route between Victoria and Nanaimo.
鈥淚t has always been our 颅company鈥檚 plan to reduce our emissions and footprint, however, with the setback we have experienced through COVID, the high cost of replacing our fleet with electric vehicles seemed out of reach,鈥� said Wilson鈥檚 chief executive John Wilson.
鈥淭his new partnership allows both companies to help do our part towards a 颅sustainable future.鈥�
The bus can accommodate 41 passengers, is powered by a 313-kWh battery and retails for $599,000, according to BYD 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 Ted Dowling.
Initial tests show the bus reduces 97 per cent of emissions versus a similar-size fossil-fuel-颅powered bus.
Dowling said tour-bus 颅companies like Wilson鈥檚 could replace their fossil-fuel buses with help from the province鈥檚 Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive program.
Launched this year, the SUVI program offers rebates of up to $100,000 per vehicle to 颅businesses buying medium and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, although one obstacle for some businesses is lack of ready cash for a deposit on the vehicle, since they have not been operating during the pandemic. The province will only provide the rebate after the vehicles have been delivered.
Wilson鈥檚 goal is to eventually use electric buses on other routes.
鈥淥ur due diligence has shown us that electric buses work well on certain routes,鈥� said Wilson. 鈥淲ith this knowledge, our team is working with Ted at BYD on a strategy that could see some of our other services moving to electric in the near future.鈥�
Wilson鈥檚 operates a number of bus services, 颅including links between 颅Victoria, Vancouver and Vancouver 颅airport, as well as 颅connections between 颅Victoria, Tofino and other Island 颅communities, and between 颅Vancouver and 颅Whistler, Kelowna and 颅Kamloops.
