In the Montreal area, the federal government will invest $1.5 million to create a "zero-emission trucking testbed" as one of three new initiatives under its Zero-Emission Trucking Program.
The Quebec-based initiative initiated in partnership with FPInnovations is the largest of the investments announced on Thursday to support work in medium- and heavy-duty on-road applications. It will concentrate on gathering performance data under actual conditions.
British Columbia and Nova Scotia will receive an additional $1,300,000 to support zero-emission initiatives. Transport Canada says that in British Columbia, the funds will be used for commercial vehicle pilots, training, and knowledge-sharing activities, while in Nova Scotia, the funds will be used to study technical needs such as refueling and recharging infrastructure and to develop guidelines for the adoption of medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.
Between March 2024 and March 2025, FPInnovations will investigate at least five battery-electric vehicles operated by at least three fleets, according to Mark Partington, manager – transportation and infrastructure.
"It's not a controlled test like on a racetrack," he explained to TruckNews.com. The initiative will "instrument and monitor" the performance of battery-electric Class 8 trucks in real-world environments, comparing them to diesel-powered equipment performing comparable work on the same routes.
"We'll install and instrument the trucks with advanced telematics, and we'll use that data to evaluate various performance metrics," he said, referring to variables such as routes, weather, and traffic conditions. Additionally, drivers will provide their impressions of the vehicles.
Partington added that the trucks will consist of a combination of equipment currently on the road as well as equipment developed to support the investigation.
By March 2025, the final report will be delivered.
The funding is in addition to a previously announced request for proposals under the Zero-Emission Trucking Program, which runs until October 3 and offers up to $1 million for eligible zero-emission trucking initiatives.
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are a significant contributor to pollution in Canada, and our government remains committed to assisting the transportation industry in its transition to cleaner alternatives. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez stated in a press release that "today's announcement is excellent news for the sector, as it will help to facilitate the transition."
All new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, where practicable, must be zero-emission models by 2040, and all on-road transportation must produce zero emissions by 2050.