ECO-News Byte for December 2017

A dark background photograph of a Tesla Semi-Truck

Will the trend toward electric trucks be good for your business? Tesla makes news in Ontario.

Semi truck-sized news out of Ontario in December.

The province is promising to offer rebates of up to 60% of the incremental purchase cost of an electric truck (capped at $75,000 per vehicle) – an announcement that could see the import of more efficient trucks from the likes of Tesla.

It appears that businesses are eager to avail this opportunity. The Financial Post reports that Loblaws has already ordered 25 Tesla semis, and wants its fleet fully electric by 2030.

Consequently is this news good for your business?

Less energy consumption and significant efficiency gains mean a lot of potential for the tech to gain favour – especially if it beats the overall cost of traditional semis. The rebate roll out already suggests there’s early evidence this is true (Quebec has instituted a similar incentive along with New York and California, and we’re hoping other provinces follow suit). Tesla in particular says its semi consumes less than two kilowatt-hours of energy per mile with a range of about 800 kilometres. That could save owners $250,000+ in fuel costs over 1.6 million km – which hopefully means logistical economies saved across the entire supply chain as trucking chains convert to the new tech and pass along their savings. Plus – any reduction of greenhouse gases is a win for all.

If you’re based in Ontario, the rebates are being offered through the Green Commercial Vehicle Program for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018.

We encourage you to share your news with us.

 

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