When it came to replacing the Parks Department’s 2008 Ford 5500 Super Duty truck, the Manager of Parks and Environment, Bonny Brokenshire, took a number of factors into consideration.
Functionality, purchase and maintenance costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions were all factors that led to the decision to replace the diesel vehicle with the Canadian-made Might-E Truck that runs on a bank of 12 batteries that will require replacing every three years, and does not emit CO2.
As stated in a report to council about the decision: About 2.31kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced from burning a litre of gasoline. About 2.68 kg of CO2 is produced from burning a litre of diesel.
Bruce Lyne, who works in the municipality’s Parks Department, says he got a chance to test-drive the vehicle in Parksville.
“It’s small and nimble, and will make it easier for us to get into trails,” he says. “It won’t be able to haul heavy equipment but it is part of a fleet, so we can use one of the other trucks when necessary. This new vehicle will meet our needs most of the time, though.”
He adds that the Might-E Truck has an A/C engine, and has more pep than the electric vehicle that were being produced a few years ago and ran on D/C engines.
The purchase price of the Might-E Truck is $40,000, and a $5,000 rebate is available.
It is expected to be on Bowen and in use by the Parks department in a few weeks.
