Town of Banff – Gem el XD’s

OVERVIEW 

As part of the Electric Vehicles for Municipalities program the Town of Banff purchased two fully electric GEM el XD low speed utility vehicles. The Town received a $27,457.20 rebate for the project to help cover the $91,524.00 purchase price.

This project was funded by the Government of Alberta.

APPROACH 

The two low speed utility vehicles were purchased as part of the Town’s Responsible Energy Vehicle (REV) program launched in 2019 to electrify the municipal fleet as part of the Town’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, while saving Banffites tax dollars, thanks to reduced fuel and maintenance costs of electric vehicles.

These new EVs will be used during the spring, summer and fall for maintenance such as:

• Recreation Grounds maintenance, including waste collection from pedestrian garbage bins, firewood delivery, and monitoring and maintenance for playgrounds, skatepark, dog park and the new pump track.
• Irrigation maintenance within the townsite
• Lawn maintenance on turf around downtown, carrying battery-powered mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers for a crew of two.

RESULTS 

These new utility EVs:

• Reduce the Town’s dependence on diesel which reduces overall operating costs.
• Are significantly quieter to operate compared to ICE vehicles.
• Require less maintenance compared to ICE vehicles.
• Do not produce any GHG emissions during operation.

“As a community in Canada’s first national park, Banff needs to be a leader in environmental conservation and sustainability,” said Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno. “The REVs help us to maintain clean air in Banff, reduce our use of fossil fuels as part of our Climate Action Plan, and save tax dollars in the long run while our talented crews make our community one of the most beautiful in Canada.”

Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno