With the publication of two new reports, Making the Case for Electric Urban Delivery Fleets in the GTHA and Making the Switch to Electric Urban Delivery Fleets in the GTHA, the Pembina Institute provides urban delivery couriers with the knowledge to better understand the considerations involved in switching to electric delivery vehicles. 

As door-to-door deliveries increase in Canadian cities, a switch to electric vehicles is an important way that businesses, fleet operators and city planners can mitigate the impact of urban delivery emissions on climate change and air quality.

In Canadian cities, where transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions often account for a high portion of all emissions, battery-electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to offer significant GHG emission reductions in comparison to internal combustion engine vehicles. Moreover, EVs do not produce tailpipe emissions and thus do not contribute significantly to the degradation of local air quality.

But the reality is that although this zero-emission technology exists today and there are examples of electric delivery vans operating in some global and Canadian cities, the deployment of fully electric delivery vans in Canada is still in its infancy.

Switching to fully electric vehicles is complex and requires businesses and fleets to have a comprehensive understanding of existing and future operational needs, infrastructure, and energy demands, along with the costs associated with transitioning to a new transportation and energy system.