Richmond will be the hub of Purolator’s new fully electric truck and cargo bike fleet, which is expected to service the Greater Vancouver Area.
The Canada-wide courier company announced its green initiative last Monday, saying the collaboration with Motiv Power Systems will enable Purolator to provide the region with the same electric delivery system it currently offers in Toronto and Montreal.
Bringing these vehicles to Vancouver has been a long time in coming, said the company’s Western Canada general manager Paul Merrick, who said plans began in 2005 when the company received their first electric hybrid.
“It’s part of a multi-faceted environmental responsibility and sustainability strategy. As a major integrated transportation provider, it’s things like noise and air pollution reduction […] and some operational cost benefits that will continue to improve.”
The fleet will be based at Purolator’s existing YVR facility of 210,000 square feet, where it dispatches up to 80 vehicles a day for curbside delivery.
Merrick said the environmentally conscious expansion will also aid the current COVID-19 situation, as pandemic restrictions have seen a 50 per cent increase in residential deliveries during holidays and events.
“We’ve seen massive increase in peak periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and traditional holidays, and an increase in demand of our services […] It just gives you the opportunity to really look at and quickly deploy new solutions.”
This move towards greater sustainability is part of Purolator’s aim to reduce its emissions to net-zero by 2050, according to the company’s recent Corporate Social Responsibility Report.
