'Just doesn't make sense for us yet': Victoria businesses unconvinced by Ottawa's plans for electric vehicles
CTV
Many businesses want to go green by swapping out their fossil fuel vehicles for electric. But some businesses that operate large fleets of commercial vehicles say there isn’t a business case to make the switch.
But businesses that currently operate large fleets of commercial vehicles on our roads say there isn’t a business case to make the switch to electric, despite the federal government's plans to invest in the industry.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Greater Victoria, laying out his government’s plans to expand electric vehicle (EV) use in the country.
"We know we need to cut emissions," said Trudeau. "We know we need to reduce pollution."
While speaking in Colwood on Monday, Trudeau promised $400 million to build 50,000 electric charging stations across the country. He also said the current rebate program that offers $5,000 on EV purchases will be extended.
"I would love to [switch to EVs] but I think the cost of the infrastructure to get them going, just how are you going to manage it?" said Al Hasham, president and CEO of Maximum Express Courier.
Maximum Express Courier has more than 30 vehicles in its fleet, four of which are small electric cars.
Hasham says he's looked into making a full switch, but found that it’s not possible.
"There’s not just the cost of the vehicle, there’s the cost of the infrastructure change of trying to put in chargers everywhere, and how are we going to do that?" he said.
