Victoria is about to make history with the arrival of a cutting-edge electric transport vehicle – the first of its kind in North America.
The city will soon take delivery of a Peterbilt 579EV, an electric-powered semi-truck.
Unlike traditional diesel trucks, this model runs entirely on electricity and is designed for regional hauling.
Depending on the battery configuration, the 579EV can travel up to 320 kilometres on a single charge. A fast-charging system allows the truck to reach 80 per cent charge in just over 90 minutes.
City of Victoria Coun. Matt Dell says this addition goes along with their goal of electrifying the entire city vehicle fleet.
“The City of Victoria is focused on drastically reducing corporate emissions, which largely come from city vehicles and buildings," Dell said. "We are committed to doing everything we can to tackle climate change in Victoria. One of our key goals is to electrify our entire vehicle fleet, including things like fire trucks, heavy machinery and vehicles."
While the electric truck was manufactured by an American company, Dell emphasized that Victoria had been planning this purchase well before recent geopolitical tensions.
"I’m really excited to see the city has finally acquired an electric semi-truck, which will further help reduce the city’s emissions," Dell said. "This truck was ordered long before the recent trade tensions, but I’d love to see more electric vehicles from Canada in the future.”
This addition of the electric semi-truck comes just a year after the city unveiled its first electric fire truck on May 31, 2024.
