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Vancouver lights up with 'greenest fleet' boast

The City of Vancouver is claiming to have the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country now that it has purchased 13 new electric vehicles.

The new Mitsubishi i-MiEVs will join the City's already substantial electric fleet, which includes four cars, 23 utility vehicles, eight bicycles and two scooters. Seven of the new cars have already been purchased, with the rest on the road by the end of 2012. Up to 17 additional i-MiEVs will be purchased by the end of 2013 at a cost of $28,000 each.

"The shift to a greener fleet supports the Park Board's new strategic plan priority to be a leader in going green,” said Vancouver Park Board Chair Sarah Blyth in a press release from the City.

"The Board already has one electric car and will introduce more as older vehicles are retired from service. Our 'green fleet' also includes ice resurfacers and edgers, transport vehicles and lawn mowers all powered by batteries."

The total cost for the 13 cars is estimated at $370,000, out of the City's $35 million annual vehicle budget. The City estimates the choice to go electric will save $20,800 annually in gas and maintenance costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29,000 kilograms per year.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, an American-based science non-profit organization promoting solutions to environmental issues, electric vehicles are only as clean as their power sources. Cars that are powered by coal-based electricity are just as bad as cars that only get 31 to 40 miles per gallon.

But a report from the Union shows that at least in America, electric cars will only get greener as more states move away from "dirty" power sources like coal to renewable energy sources, including the hydro power that fuels British Columbia. Cars that run on electricity from renewable sources have the equivalent of 75 miles per gallon, which the Union says is better than any commercial fuel-powered or hybrid vehicle on the market today.

In an email to The Tyee, a spokesperson for the City says Mitsubishi responded to their Request For Proposals for an electric fleet with the "best combination of functionality and cost with their vehicles." Although Vancouver was the first city to test drive the i-MiEV in 2009 and 2010, the City does have one Nissan LEAF electric vehicle in its fleet, too.

This purchase coincides with Vancouver's ongoing program to increase the number of City-owned electric vehicle charging stations to 67. Currently there are six city-owned and 11 private charging stations in Vancouver. The $800,000 project benefits from investments from the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, BC Hydro, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and should be complete by the end of 2013.

Katie Hyslop reports on education and youth issues for The Tyee.

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