Lunenburg adds electric vehicles to fleet

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL) has purchased its first two electric vehicles.

MODL declared a climate emergency in October 2019

and pledged to fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations by 40 per cent below 2019 levels by 2030.

As part of the commitment, MODL has replaced two aging gasoline vehicles from its municipal fleet with electric vehicles. The first vehicle is a used 2021 Ford Mach-e, which was purchased locally at a cost of $69,002.94. The second vehicle is a new 2022 Volvo XC40,

purchased from a

dealer in Halifax at a cost of $79,689.50.

The municipality expects to slowly replace gas powered municipal vehicles with electric vehicles over the next few years. These vehicles are predominately used by staff for park and trail maintenance, as well as fire and building inspections.

Some of the benefits provided by electric vehicles include:

• Savings on fuel costs, as the cost of electricity is much lower than the cost of gas. MODL expects to save about $4,200 annually on fuel costs by switching two vehicles from gas to electric.

• Savings on maintenance costs, as electric vehicles have fewer parts to service and there is no need for spark plugs or oil changes.

• Driving more efficiently because of regenerative braking. Electric vehicles generate

energy when slowing.

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a healthier environment by releasing zero tailpipe emissions into the air.

“Transitioning to electric vehicles (is) an important part of meeting our municipal goals on climate change,” said Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-getson in a news release. “Switching from gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles is a big leap, and MODL is leading the charge.”