L'Assomption: one step at a time

Project history and implementation

In 2019, the City of L'Assomption adopted an environmental policy with the progressive electrification of the municipal fleet as one of its main objectives. Since then, light vehicles at the end of their useful life are being replaced by EVs.

As of February 2023, 4 out of 15 vehicles are now electric, representing nearly 25% of the fleet. Two of these vehicles are also available to the population for carsharing in the evening and on weekends as part of the SAUVéR project. For this purpose, an online reservation platform has been made available to the community.

An Earth Day initiative also allowed the city to have a utility van converted to electricity for a week. Having this vehicle on display was an excellent outreach tool for staff to become familiar with this type of vehicle and to demonstrate their efficiency.

In the near future, the municipality will be participating in a pilot project to electrify excavation operations within its territory.

L'Assomption's fleet consists of 15 vehicles, including 4 electric models.

Credit: City of L’Assomption

Key players

Elected officials and staff: By adopting an environmental policy, L'Assomption has structured its vision for a more sustainable municipality. The implementation of the objectives of this policy is possible thanks to these agents of change.

Data analysis: A Québec company is supporting the municipality in decarbonizing its fleet by aggregating and analyzing the usage data of its vehicles and allowing the calculation of the savings made in electric mode. This approach allows the municipality to build a solid and quantified argument to justify the choice of a vehicle.

IVÉO: According to this municipality, this NPO is a major asset for carrying out an innovative and sustainable project by facilitating participation in pilot projects and helping to obtain grants.

Budget

Given that a light EV generates savings of 10 to 20% when considering reduced maintenance and energy costs, the city's budget is inevitably improved by opting for EVs. For example, with four EVs, L'Assomption saves close to $6000 per year in fuel alone.

Many rebates exist for both the vehicles and the charging stations. This explains why 16 charging stations have been installed in 2022 at absolutely no cost to the municipality.

Tips for a successful fleet electrification

The city shares the steps it believes should be taken for successful electrification.

1. Begin with the charging infrastructure. With Hydro-Québec's grant program, there is no need to shop around for a supplier which makes the process much easier for municipalities.
2. Define your actual needs by making an inventory and analyzing the use of existing cars through in-depth analysis. External expertise really helps to make the best choice. The battery range of a municipal vehicle does not need to be incredibly important since it rarely leaves the territory of the municipality. For example, L'Assomption has opted for cars with a range of less than 400 km and for a Ford E-Transit van (215 km range).
3. Take the time to examine the available subsidies or deal with an organization that can do it for you. Grants are available now, so take advantage of them.
4. Seek out your network and other municipalities to learn about best practices and benefit from knowledge sharing.

Video for more information (French only)

• Successfully electrifying your vehicle fleet: the inspiring example of the City of L'Assomption (video capsule)