By Cecilia Nasmith
The replacement of a Northumberland County land-inspection vehicle with an electric model occasioned a larger discussion of going in this direction at this week's meeting of the Northumberland County's standing Economic Development, Tourism and Land Use Planning Standing Committee.
Once the 2022 budget is finalized, the new vehicle and charging station would be located at 600 William St. in Cobourg, where this division is located.
“It's a great idea to try to go electric,” Warden Bob Crate declared.
“I do agree we have to make every effort to look at climate control, look at some of the environmental impacts the county has, and this is a very good start,” committee chair Bob Sanderson agreed.
County Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Moore said there have been preliminary conversations on going electric when further replacements are required. The technology is ever-changing at this point, as are the capabilities of these vehicles.
The one being purchased would be used weekdays during business hours, and not often in challenging conditions. Any new vehicles for the roads department, however, would be required to offer heavy-duty-performance capabilities, would be out around the clock and in virtually any weather conditions.
While a move toward a larger EV fleet is anticipated, Moore said, the long-range goal of a consolidated public-works facility must be part of the planning. When that facility is constructed, the latest in EV technology must be part of its infrastructure.
“For one vehicle, this is probably the right decision to get us into the beginning of an electric fleet. But if we are going to move our entire fleet, we will have to look at much larger considerations,” Moore stated.
“We are starting to have those conversations.”
Sanderson noted that county staff are beginning to consider the electric option for their own cars – in such a case, he said, employees might be able to access the county's charging stations when they are not otherwise in use. Moore agreed that the chargers would be programmed to accept corporate vehicles only, but employees could also access the chargers on a pay-for-service basis with their credit cards.
This kind of infrastructure is part of the planning of the county's newest projects, she said, such as the Campbellford emergency-services base and the Golden Plough Lodge redevelopment. Older facilities could be retrofitted.
