Toronto, Ontario – In this week’s electric and autonomous vehicle report, Canada Post plans to electrify their fleet, Nimbus announces an EV the size of a motorcycle, and the European Parliament votes to ban combustion engines in cars by 2035.
Voltaic vans
On June 9, Canada Post announced a radical new plan using $1 billion to cut emissions and modernize its vehicle fleet. If things go as planned, Canada Post will have half its fleet electrified by 2030, and fully electrified by 2040.
“The challenge ahead is great, and we know the greening of our transportation is critical,” said Doug Ettinger, the company’s CEO. “We have a responsibility to Canadians, and to their children and grandchildren, to help lead the way to a more sustainable future.”
Testing on net-zero parcel sorting facilities is underway at the Albert Jackson Processing Centre, and experimental vehicles are undergoing trials at Canada Post depot, Ottawa.
Tiny cars
Nimbus has another take on the trike concept, chasing the holy grail of urban vehicles: the mobility of a motorcycle, and the protection of a car.
In addition to airbags and a steel frame, the Nimbus boasts cameras and proximity AIs to improve vehicular awareness, bringing the awareness systems of a car to “the convenience and cost of a motorbike.”
Despite claims that the Nimbus has “the protection of a car,” it is unclear whether the 300kg Nimbus will protect the driver as well as cars which typically average 1,850kg, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
At the very least, you’ll be protected from the rain on the way to work.
Combustible crackdown
This week, the European Parliament voted on a proposed ban on combustion engines in cars by 2035, with 339 votes against 249, with 24 abstaining.
Lawmakers also endorsed a new reduction in CO2 emissions from automobiles, escalating from lowering discharges by 37.5 percent by 2020 to 55 percent by 2030.
At the same time, this vote only confirms the parliament’s stance – the law itself would only pass after negotiating with countries inside the European Union.
