The federal vehicles slated for electrification include SUVs, vans, pickup trucks and commercial-sized vehicles

The Canadian government is working with a new partner to help transition over 17,000 of its 40,000 vehicle-strong federal fleet vehicles to zero-emission.

As part of a strategic partnership with Natural Resources Canada, GHD Group, a global professional services firm, will analyze data from the federal fleet, such as vehicle usage, idle times, fuel consumption and duty cycles.

The data gathered will be included in Green Fleet Optimization Assessment reports to guide the government in making informed decisions about fleet right-sizing and ZEV adoption as part of the Greening Government Strategy. The aim of the strategy is to reduce fuel consumption and bring fleet emissions in alignment with federal targets.

“Supporting the Government of Canada’s mission to achieve a net-zero fleet represents a powerful step forward in global sustainability efforts,” says Martin Gavin, Canadian federal sector leader at GHD, in a press statement.

“By bringing our data-driven approach to fleet decarbonization, we’re not only contributing to Canada’s climate goals but also setting a benchmark for government fleets worldwide.”

GHD is using its Zero Emissions Vehicle Optimization (ZEVO) platform solution to collect and analyze the government’s fleet data.

Fleet vehicle breakdown

The federal vehicles identified as electrification targets include SUVs, vans, pick-up trucks and commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, says Thierry Speiss, deputy director of on-road transportation programs at Natural Resources Canada, in a statement to Electric Autonomy.

“This project will help us assess the real-world suitability, cost savings and emission reduction potential of ZEVs and hybrids for federal use whilst identifying opportunities for fleet right-sizing and route optimization,” says Speiss.

“This important work enables departments to identify and prioritize ZEV options for all new vehicle purchases where suitable and operationally feasibility.”

The vehicles being transitioned belong to multiple government departments including, Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.

The total federal fleet includes:

• 17,200 conventional light-duty vehicles (this is the segment GHD will primarily be assessing);
• 23,000 national safety and security land vehicles;
• 2,300 commercial vehicles; and
• 7,100 “other” vehicles such as off-road and industrial equipment.

The government’s pledge is that by 2025, 100 per cent of their new light-duty fleet vehicle purchases will be zero-emission, where suitable. (The federal government’s definition of ZEVs includes battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.)

The ultimate goal is a fully zero-emission, light-duty federal fleet by 2030.

The most current numbers from March, 2023 state 14.1 per cent of the federal light-duty fleet consists of “green vehicles.” Of those, 4.5 per cent are ZEVs and 9.6 per cent are hybrid vehicles.

By 2030, the government also aims for at least 40 per cent of new commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicle purchases to be ZEVs.