NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF BARRIE
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The City of Barrie has added seven new electric pickup trucks to its fleet, as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“We’re excited about this next phase of electrifying our fleet,” said Kelly Oakley, associate director of corporate asset management. “These new electric trucks will not only help us reduce our emissions, but they will also lower our operating costs, and they are an example to the community of our commitment to a greener future.”
The new trucks will be used by parks planning and the wastewater, water and roads operations teams. The trucks will also be shared across other city departments to test their suitability for a variety of tasks. It’s anticipated that the city will save approximately $2,000 in fuel costs per truck, per year and the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is estimated to be about nine tonnes per truck, per year.
The city maintains over 600 corporate vehicles and major equipment and plans to expand the electric fleet. This includes the addition of electric SUVs, cargo vans, mowers, ice resurfacers and more pickup trucks. These initiatives are part of the broader strategy to promote environmental stewardship and enhance operational efficiency.
In 2022, council approved the community energy and greenhouse gas reduction plan. Transportation is a major focus of this plan, and electrifying the city’s fleet will have a significant impact on emissions. The city’s greenhouse gas initiatives apply to city operations and to supporting the needs of residents and businesses as Barrie works to transition to a low-carbon, net-zero-realized community by 2050.
For more information about the city’s electric vehicle initiatives, please visit barrie.ca/ElectrifyBarrie.
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