With the arrival of the new vehicles, the Ontario utility says 10 per cent of its fleet is now electric

Enwin Utilities in Windsor, Ont. is decarbonizing its fleet by adopting a dozen new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Together, the vehicles represent 10 per cent of the utility’s fleet that is now fully or partially powered by electricity.

“Enwin is focused on driving positive change,” says Garry Rossi, President and CEO of Enwin in a press release.

“Our electric fleet acquisition… reflects our commitment to innovation and clean energy solutions. We’re proud to lead the charge, demonstrating that sustainability and functionality can go hand-in-hand.”

The list of fully electric vehicles includes a 55-foot electric bucket truck, two Ford E-Transit vans and two Ford F-150 Lightning pickups.

The utility also purchased one plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica minivan and six PHEV Dodge Hornets.

Electric bucket truck

Enwin announced the arrival of its new vehicles earlier last week.

The highlight of this announcement, says Enwin, is the electric bucket truck from Terex Utilities. Terex is a U.S.-based global manufacturer of bucket trucks and digger derricks for the utility industry.

Enwin claims it’s electric bucket truck is one of the first of its kind operating outside the Greater Toronto Area.

The truck can travel between 250 to 300 kilometres on a full charge and operates more quietly than gas or diesel-powered trucks.

The cost of the electric bucket truck was around $1 million. A spokesperson for Enwin tells Electric Autonomy in an email statement that the utility applied for “applicable grants” to help fund the purchase of the bucket truck.

“We proudly celebrated our launch of the [electric and plug-in vehicle] fleet, and are eager to deploy these to the field, pending the installation of additional charging equipment to ensure maximum usage,” says the Enwin spokesperson.

Enwin is installing one DC fast charging station and 12 Level 2 charging stations
at its headquarters in Windsor for fleet charging.

Broader energy plans

“Enwin’s incorporation of fleet electrification is one component of broader sustainability goals that aim to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices in the community,” says the Enwin spokesperson.

As part of the pathway to achieve its electrification strategy, the company has recently undertaken several key initiatives to promote clean energy and enhance its infrastructure.

Last summer, Enwin converted one of the company’s 2018 Ford F-150 to an electric vehicle. The project was a hands-on learning opportunity and “will assist in training staff and technicians as Enwin plans to integrate EVs within their fleet in the future,” said the utility at the time.

To further support the shift toward EVs, Enwin also installed four Level 2 EV charging stations at its Rhodes Drive headquarters in Windsor. These chargers are accessible to both staff and the general public via the ChargePoint app.

Enwin also expanded its clean energy efforts this year by unveiling a one-megawatt solar rooftop net metering facility at its headquarters.

The installation features over 3,000 solar panels. It can generate enough clean electricity to power 300 homes, annually.