18 LAST YEAR, 1.6 MILLIONnew zeroemission vehicles (ZEVs) hit Canadian roadways, accounting for 5.2 per cent of all new motor vehicles registered. And between new federal government incentives and the release of new ZEV models, including lightduty pickup trucks and SUVs, our roads are about to look a lot different. With goals to see ZEVs make up at least 20 per cent of all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada by 2026 and at least 60 per cent by 2030, the Government of Canada is on the fast track to see electric vehicles fill 100 per cent of our roadways by 2035 (all new vehicles must be zero-emission by 2035). Earlier this year, the federal government also released a new buyer incentive program, with $547.5 million in funding to help businesses, like farms, switch to mediumand heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, including minivans, light-duty pickup trucks and SUVs. In addition, the federal government aims to have these medium-and heavy-duty vehicles make up 35 per cent of total sales of zero-emission vehicles by 2030 to help reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. “When it comes to motivating ZEV buyers, government incentives are like the carrot,” explains Tim Burrows of the Electric Vehicle Society, a Canadian not-for-profit advocacy group for electric vehicles. “The ‘stick’ will be the zero-emission mandates.” And while the Government of Canada is rolling out buyer incentive programs and zero-emission mandates, only British Columbia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Electric pickups COMING TO A FARM NEAR YOU? Jeanine Moyer 2022 FORD F-150 LIGHTENING PRO. PHOTO COURTESY OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY. and Quebec are offering provincial sales rebates for ZEVs. This explains why many manufacturers are prioritizing the supply of ZEVs to those provinces offering additional incentives. Government targets and buyer incentive programs aside, what will the uptake of electric vehicles look like across rural areas, especially for farmers who prefer and depend on larger vehicles, like pickups, for day-today work? “I believe there is a 100 per cent opportunity for electric trucks on farms,” says Burrows. “The question is time and how quickly the uptake will happen.” COMING TO MARKET The recent unveiling of the Ford F-150 Lightning is attracting a lot of attention as the first electric pickup truck available in Canada. According to the manufacturer, the new electric F-150 can serve as a de facto backup generator, generating 9.6 kilowatts of power from up to 11 power outlets throughout the vehicle, and its battery has the ability to power a standard home for several days. Burrows says the F-150 Lightning is just the first major electric truck to market. Many manufacturers will be releasing pickups in the near future and offering customers new, attractive features, like power outlets that aren’t available on traditional vehicles. “Because electric vehicles don’t have a motor, they have so much more space and freedom available to offer more creative features, and I think that will help with the attraction and transition to an electric pickup,” he says. The most attractive features for many consumers switching to an electricpowered vehicle today are reduced noise, lower maintenance and fuel, and reduced operating cost. And while they may not be selling points for die-hard pickup truck drivers Sustainability
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