The deal will see Wilson’s use a battery-powered Model C8M highway coach for the next three months on the route between Victoria and Nanaimo.
“It has always been our company’s 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,” said Wilson’s chief executive John Wilson.
“This new partnership allows both companies to help do our part towards a sustainable future.”
The bus can accommodate 41 passengers, is powered by a 313-kWh battery and retails for $599,000, according to BYD Canada’s Ted Dowling.
Eager to go electric: Over 50,000 EVs on B.C.’s roads
SHARE ON: Electric vehicle being charged (Supplied by: Pixabay)
It looks like the desire to ditch the gas tank and go electric is spreading across the province.
A record number of British Columbians have now switched to electric vehicles (EVs), with more than 54,000 light-duty EVs registered in B.C. That’s the findings of a newly released 2020 annual zero-emission vehicle update.
According to the report, B.C.’ers are also adopting EV technology for less traditional vehicles, such as motorcycles and cargo e-bikes, through the Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive program.
Electric vehicles taking over B C roads - BC News castanet.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from castanet.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
VICTORIA British Columbia remains a leader in electric-vehicle sales in North America, with an estimated 54,000 light-duty EVs now registered in the province, according to a new government report. The province says EV sales remained steady through 2020, despite the economic slowdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the highest reported uptake rates of EVs in North America, B.C. is quickly becoming a leader in the EV industry, said B.C. Energy Minister Bruce Ralston in a statement Tuesday. British Columbians are committed to meeting our CleanBC goals and our transition to a clean energy future, Ralston added. The report also indicates British Columbians are adopting EV technology for non-traditional vehicles like motorcycles and cargo e-bikes, according to the province.
The British Columbian government is doubling its electric vehicle incentives for some businesses.
The actual name for the program is the Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive, and it applies to a wide swath of businesses differently.
Local governments, public sector and non-profit organizations can get 33 percent of the cost of an electric vehicle up to $100,000. Previously, this incentive only went up to $50,000. Hospitality and tourism industries can recoup 66 percent of an EV up to $100,000.
This incentive doesn’t allow businesses to buy Teslas, but rather focuses on Battery or hydrogen-fueled buses, food delivery trucks or transport trucks. Specialty-use vehicles like motorcycles, cargo e-bikes and low-speed utility trucks also qualify.