NORTH BATTLEFORD — The City of North Battleford has two new fleet vehicles in operation this week, after city council approved the purchase of new hybrids in an effort to cut down on fuel expenses.
Two 2023 Ford Escapes were purchased locally at Valley Ford after administration approached several local dealerships and received competitive pricing rates. Both vehicles are expected to save the city a significant amount of money over time, noted Fleet and Maintenance Manager, Seton Winterholt.
“Both of these units are replacing half-ton trucks, so we anticipate substantial savings on fuel costs, somewhere between 20 to 30 per cent.”
Winterholt added that there is an added benefit in reduction of emissions, with the hybrid units cutting back on emissions by approximately 40 to 50 per cent.
One unit, a hybrid equipped with both gas and an electric battery, is designated for City operations, while the second fleet vehicle is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The PHEV unit will be a patrol vehicle for Community Safety Officers. The PHEV has both gas and an electric battery, which can be plugged in to expedite charging. The PHEV also has a larger battery capacity, so it can travel faster and longer than a regular hybrid before switching to gas power.
The two new compact SUVs were part of the 2023 Capital Budget approved by city council in late 2022. The CSO PHEV was purchased for $48,594 plus taxes, while the operations hybrid vehicle is on a 48-month lease with payments of $666.33 plus taxes per month. The city has the option to buy out the lease of the vehicle at the end of the term for a cost of $18,401.42 plus taxes.
Fleet Services team anticipates both units will perform well in colder weather due to improvements in hybrid vehicle technology over the last number of years. Fleet Services intends to monitor the fuel savings and emission reductions of these vehicles against other non-electric vehicles and will use this data to plan for future vehicle acquisitions to ensure the city is equipped with reliable, cost-effective units.
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