The Innovative Vehicle Institute Demystifies Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks

Mirabel, 25 October 2022 – The Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI), the nexus of electrification and transport automation, achieves today the first stage of its research project Plug-in Fleet – Heavy-Duty Trucks. This project will support Quebec companies in electrifying their heavy-duty truck fleets.

The first stage of this project took place during two days of training and on-track testing held at Saint-Jérôme and Charlesbourg’s Centres de formation du transport routier. Fleet managers and media could test drive three electric heavy-duty truck models from Lion Electric, Peterbilt, and Volvo and attend expert conferences on current knowledge and technologies in 100% heavy-duty electric vehicles.

Electrifying Heavy Trucking, One Fleet at a Time

This ambitious three-year project aims to promote and accelerate change in trucking company practices. The project will provide answers to their questions regarding the feasibility of electrifying their fleets.

The first two training and testing activities seek to initiate heavy-duty trucking companies to the realities of electric vehicles by answering fleet managers’ key concerns. More than thirty selected companies will benefit from IVI’s expertise in the second stage by receiving a personalized energy analysis report. This report will constitute the roadmap for their successful electric transition. Finally, the third stage comprises one-month electric truck trials at selected companies to assess real-life conditions in a commercial setting. The main findings of this research will eventually be made public.

One More Step Towards the Development of a Green Economy

The project contributes to sustainable development by lifting barriers and implementing numerous Quebec companies’ electrification plans. The ultimate goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector accounts for 43.3% of Quebec’s GHG emissions.

The project Plug-in Fleet – Heavy-Duty Trucks is being carried out through a financial contribution from the Government of Quebec as part of the Action-Climat Quebec program and meets the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy objectives. This initiative also benefits from key partners: Hydro-Québec, the Quebec Trucking Association, the Centre de formation du transport routier de Saint-Jérôme, Lion Electric, the Trucking Industry Labour Sectoral Committee, Sia Partners, the Rolling Stock Management Centre, the Centre de formation en transport de Charlesbourg, Peterbilt, Volvo, Globocam, and Kenworth.

Quote

“There is a sense of desire among companies to reduce their GHG emissions and to make the transportation sector greener and more environmentally friendly, but too often, they do not know where to start. With our project, we want to fill knowledge gaps and provide the tools for smaller transportation companies to confidently embrace the energy transition. We are very proud to concretely contribute to electrifying heavy-duty truck fleets.”

– François Adam, Innovative Vehicle Institute’s General Manager

Innovative Vehicle Institute – www.ivisolutions.ca

With more than 25 years of experience in the development of electric, autonomous, and connected vehicle prototypes, the Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI) is an innovation accelerator that is helping the Quebec industry position itself quickly in a rapidly growing market. The IVI supports manufacturers and municipalities in their efforts to electrify their fleets by raising awareness of the benefits of electric vehicles and providing training and guidance to facilitate their energy transition.

The Innovative Vehicle Institute is a Centre collégial de transfert de technologie (CCTT) affiliated with the Cégep de Saint-Jérôme. It is a non-profit organization (NPO) and is accredited as a research centre by the NSERC.

– 30 –