With two Class 8 trucks finally hitting the road outside Montreal, Kruger Energy is expanding its ambitions and plans to add 50 new electric trucks to its Canadian fleet

Kruger Energy, a Montreal-based developer and manager of renewable energy power plants, has deployed a pair of all-electric class 8 trucks in Quebec.

Two Peterbilt 579EV electric semi-trailer trucks are delivering materials including Cashmere, SpongeTowels and Bonterra-branded tissue products between two facilities owned by Kruger Products, approximately 60 kilometres apart, in Crabtree and Laval.

Both Kruger Energy and Kruger Products are subsidiaries of Kruger Inc., a pulp and paper giant.

“These two electric vehicles represent the first of many steps we are taking to continue to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” says Dino Bianco, CEO of Kruger Products in a press statement. “As the leading tissue manufacturer in Canada, we have a responsibility to offer consumers and customers high-quality products while also protecting our environment.”

Kruger Energy originally announced it had ordered the two trucks in September 2021, as reported by Electric Autonomy. A spokesperson for Kruger tells Electric Autonomy in an interview that due to demand and some supply chain issues, the trucks were delivered to the company in Q3 2022 and have been on the roads making deliveries to the Kruger Products facilities since.

“Kruger has a leg up on most companies that are contemplating the use of electric trucks. We have gone beyond the experimental stage and use our electric trucks for daily operations,” says the spokesperson.

Kruger Products launched its sustainability strategy Reimagine 2030: transformative growth and sustainable innovation in April 2021. The strategy identifies sustainable solutions to reduce the company’s environmental impact and grow the business. Part of their solutions is to minimize their environmental footprint and enhance their sustainability performance by “moving towards a low carbon and sustainable transportation system,” says Kruger Products on its website.

Growing electric fleet

Kruger Energy says it plans to electrify a significant portion of its fleet. The company has already ordered 50 additional electric trucks, with up to 20 expected to hit the road within the next two years. 

“We are excited to take our first steps in transport electrification, a goal that aligns perfectly with Kruger Energy’s mission to develop renewable energy solutions that are beneficial to the environment and our communities,” said Jean Roy, COO of Kruger Energy in a press statement.

The current pair of Peterbilt electric trucks in operation have replaced one diesel truck from Kruger Energy’s fleet. The company says this will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 380 tonnes annually, or the equivalent of taking 90 passenger vehicles off the road.

Quebec is one of two provinces in Canada, along with British Columbia, that offers purchase incentives for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The province, through its Ecocamionnage program, provides a $175,000 purchase rebate per electric heavy-duty truck.

The federal government also offers purchase incentives of up to $200,000 for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which can be combined with provincial or territorial rebates.

Adding charging infrastructure, collecting data

Kruger’s two electric trucks run 20 hours per day, seven days a week. At full duty cycle, they will travel 365,000 km annually or more than 1,000 km each day between the Crabtree and Laval depots.

The company installed its own charging stations at both of the depots. The chargers will track charging data to collect information on the performances of the vehicles.

Eventually, Kruger Energy says, it plans to offer fleet electrification services to other companies looking to increase sustainable modes of transport within their supply chain.

Kruger Energy is also gathering data from its vehicle batteries.

“The data collected from the electric truck batteries will help further expand our expertise in energy storage, which is critical to renewable energy production,” says Roy.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include information about the Government of Canada’s Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles Program.