Canada Post has opened its first depot using battery-electric delivery vehicles in Nanaimo, B.C., deploying 14 cargo vans for local collection and delivery services.

The move is part of a plan to electrify half of the Crown Corporation’s 14,000 vehicles by 2030 and the entire fleet by 2040.

It also comes on the heels of the debut of a Morgan Olson C250 electric cargo van that will play a central role in coming sustainability efforts.

Canada Post has already been introducing electric and other low-emission vehicles at select plants and depots to evaluate equipment, charging infrastructure and approaches, while it’s also testing other options including e-cargo trikes that can travel bike paths, and a compact low-speed electric cargo vehicle.

“Last year, the corporation set aside more than $1 billion to cut emissions and move forward on the electrification of its last mile fleet. This critical investment has led to important progress on Canada Post’s plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” said Suromitra Sanatani, who leads Canada Post’s board of directors.

Added president Doug Ettinger: “Our transformation plan invests billions of dollars into service, capacity and greening our operations – because we need to deliver for Canadians, whether that’s shipping parcels or helping to build a more sustainable future. When you look at the size of our network, this depot may be a small first step, but it’s an important one as we start to build momentum.”

The Crown Corporation’s sustainability efforts will also involve more than vehicles alone, with existing facilities being retrofitted and new net-zero carbon buildings being constructed.