SEPAQ: Electrification of Service Vehicles
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Project overview: Progressive electrification of the Mont-Saint-Bruno and Îles-de-Boucherville National Parks fleet |
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Year of implementation: 2018 Number of electric vehicles: 4 cars, 16 golf carts and 10 electrically assisted bicycles Number of public charging stations: 1 at Îles-de-Boucherville - 1, 7 at Mont-Saint-Bruno |
Project history and implementation
By 2013, the Mont-Saint-Bruno and Îles-de-Boucherville parks had acquired two electric vehicles (EVs), but it was in 2018 that the energy transition really took off. Driven by an internal sustainable development group to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the two national parks began systematically replacing their passenger vehicles with hybrid or fully electric models.
To make it easier for EV drivers visiting the parks, charging stations have been installed at the park entrances. In addition to these charging stations, the parks have a trailer equipped with two high-capacity, fast-charging batteries for staff to extend their routes in the field.
Electrically assisted bicycles have also been added to the fleet. These bicycles enable the employees to travel efficiently within the parks. The golf carts, also used for interventions in the parks, have been fully electrified with lead-acid batteries.
The two SEPAQs on Montreal's South Shore are now turning their attention to the next steps in their energy transition, and would love to see cross-country ski groomers, snowmobiles and heavy-duty maintenance vehicles like backhoe loaders go electric. In other words, things are just getting started!
Key actors
The parks: parks have a certain autonomy to engage in innovative projects aimed at protecting the environment.
SEPAQ: the public corporation's head office has embraced electrification by taking the best practices deployed locally in the parks and turning them into province-wide programs.
Tips for a successful electrification
Think outside the box: those in charge have used their imagination to achieve the desired results within budget. For example, lead-acid batteries in golf carts are just as efficient as lithium-ion batteries if maintained properly but are less expensive and less polluting than the latter. The way in which the park is patrolled has also been rethought, with electrically assisted bikes being favoured over pick-ups. In this way, employees are encouraged to change their behaviour at work, adopting the vehicle they use according to the situation.