Electric trucks meet hydro power at one of Canada’s busiest ports

This is port and commercial trucking news, not something that changes what you can do at your own house, but it's a useful sign of where electric vehicle technology is headed. At the Port of Vancouver, one of Canada's busiest container terminals, operator GCT has started using electric Peterbilt trucks to handle jobs that used to run on diesel and propane. One model, the 220EV, services the terminal's equipment, while a heavier 520EV acts as a mobile fuel tanker for the terminal's remaining diesel machines. The deployment just won a utility-sponsored sustainability award from BC Hydro.

The trucks themselves are electric versions of standard commercial vehicles, with large battery packs (up to 400 kilowatt-hours) and enough power to handle heavy equipment work without tailpipe emissions. GCT has set a goal of cutting its overall emissions 45 percent by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050, and this truck rollout is part of that plan. These vehicles join a separate pilot program, funded through a Canadian government initiative, that is testing electric semi trucks for hauling containers to and from the port, with subsidized leases for the trucks and their chargers.

For homeowners, none of this involves a rebate or program you can apply for. It mainly shows that battery-electric technology is proving itself in heavy-duty, industrial settings, which is often a sign that the underlying technology, including batteries and charging equipment, is maturing in ways that eventually filter down to vehicles and equipment people use at home.