The City of Guelph owns and operates a fleet of more than 1,000 powered vehicles and equipment assets used by 15 service areas. To support renewable energy and to become more environmentally sustainable, the City has been exploring ways to incorporate clean and efficient energy into its fleet. So far, about 10 per cent of the City’s fleet is fully electric or uses hybrid technology.
In 2021, the City committed to the United Nations Race To Zero campaign, setting targets for the whole community to reduce carbon emissions. These goals included reducing community carbon emissions by 63 per cent against the 2018 baseline by 2030 and working together to become a net zero-carbon community by 2050.
An identified area to make sustainable changes was in the City’s fleet. The following has been updated to enable the transition to clean and efficient energy:
- Hybrid-electric passenger cars were purchased in 2009 and the fuel supply was switched to biodiesel. This earned the fleet a silver rating from the E3 Fleet Standards program
- In 2019, three electric ice resurfacers were bought from Zamboni to replace propane-powered machines
- In 2019, with financial assistance from both the provincial and federal governments, the City was also able to buy 11 electric buses
- In 2023, the City bought 12 Chevrolet Bolt passenger cars and an electric Ford cargo van
To support this increase in City-owned electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging equipment has been installed at various City-owned buildings
With engine exhaust emissions from City fleet vehicles accounting for 51 per cent of total emissions from all City operations, converting the fleet to electric options is an effective way to help the City of Guelph achieve its goals of becoming a net zero carbon community by 2050.
