Parc Safari’s new electric trucks reduce noise and eliminate emissions, benefiting animals and visitors

There are no roaring engines to disturb the animals at Parc Safari this summer, thanks to the adoption of nine electric bush trucks.

Located in Hemmingford, Que., the outdoor zoo has eliminated combustion cars from driving through its Safari Adventure — a four-kilometre animal observation circuit that allows visitors to get up close to around 300 species.

“We have dramatically changed what the guest experience is by moving to electric bush trucks,” says Jean-Pierre Ranger, the owner of Parc Safari, in an interview with Electric Autonomy.

“We’re moving away from 10,000 gas-propelled vehicles [per year] to a guided tour of the drive-thru Safari, which brings our guests as close to the animal as they are used to.”

The electric bush trucks are actually Lion Electric Lion6 trucks, inspired by African safari vehicles. These trucks are equipped with 50 passenger seats and are wheelchair accessible.

Long time coming

The initiative to introduce electric trucks at Parc Safari has been nearly 15 years in the making. It began in 2010 when Ranger visited the Shanghai World Expo in China, where he saw all-electric vehicles being used there.

Going electric is “a decision that we have pondered with since 2010,” says Ranger. “Our model is similar to what Disney did with its Kilimanjaro Safaris [at the Walt Disney World Resort],” says Ranger, but after seeing the Expo in China, he realized that he “wanted definitely to contribute to the reduction of the emission of carbon in the atmosphere.”

However, it took several years to find a Canadian company capable of realizing his vision. The company was Quebec-based Lion Electric.

Each Lion Electric truck costs $240,000. The vehicles have a range of 350 kilometres. 

The federal and Quebec governments covered 75 per cent of the purchase price (the maximum available when combining federal and provincial funding under Transport Canada’s Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-duty Zero-Emission Vehicles (iMHZEV) Program), which made the switch to electric trucks easier, says Ranger.

Lion Electric also assisted Ranger with the paperwork needed to obtain the subsidies for the vehicles.

In addition to introducing electric trucks, Parc Safari has installed 10 electric charging stations specifically to support its fleet. For EV-driving guests, the park offers a parking lot equipped with six additional charging stations.

Ranger adds that the park plans to install 100 more charging stations to accommodate more electric vehicles in the future. The parking lot currently has space for 1,800 vehicles.

Clear benefits

By switching to electric and banning vehicles on the trail this summer, Ranger is already seeing clear benefits.

“Economically, moving from petrol to electricity makes sense, especially in Quebec, where electricity tariffs are very low. As a business person, I think it makes sense.”

Electric trucks are also quiet and produce no vibrations or pollution that adversely impact visitors and animals. The introduction of the nine electric trucks has also eased traffic density in the park.

“The animals are no longer confronted with bumper-to-bumper situations that block their pathways,” explains Ranger.

The Safari Adventure, covering about 40 acres, allows animals to move freely, unlike metropolitan zoos. With no passenger cars in the area, “I think we’re doing a better job at what it is that we do, which is the contribution to the preservation of endangered species.”

Setting an example

All these changes have been “a gamble,” says Ranger, but he believes the changes made enhance the park’s quality and animal welfare.

“I think we’ve [improved] our product and our services. We took it a step beyond what exists anywhere in the world. I think we’ve set in motion an example that may have followers in the not-too-distant future.”