Canadian courier giant Purolator is pledging to invest C$1 billion over seven years to electrify its network, with the purchase of more than 3,500 electric last-mile delivery vehicles and electrification of more than 60 terminals.
This investment is expected to reduce Purolator’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 by 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, reports CTV News.
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The company will spend more than $100 million on 100 electric vehicles this year and buy another 150 in 2024, a March 9 release states. As early as this month, Purolator will deploy 25 Ford E-Transit vans in London, Ontario, Richmond, B.C., and Quebec City. The company will add 55 Motiv Power Systems vans and 15 BrightDrop models, plus several low-speed vehicles and electric cargo bikes, later this year.
The release ties the investment to the green ambitions outlined in Purolator’s 2021 sustainability report, which commits to reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions 42% by 2030. The report says those two categories cover just 38% of the company’s total carbon footprint, with Scope 3 accounting for nearly two-thirds. Purolator’s fleet generates 83% of its total Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Purolator’s decarbonization goals include a shift to renewable energy to eliminate 100% of its electricity emissions, using more energy-efficient equipment in its facilities, increasing biofuel use, optimizing fleet performance with data analytics, diverting 70% of waste from landfills, and electrifying 60% of its last-mile delivery vehicles.
“Our ambition is to be the greenest courier company in Canada, and with this investment, Purolator will take yet another important step toward a more sustainable future and healthier planet,” said President and CEO John Ferguson. “We’ve set ambitious goals for ourselves and are working with our customers and partners every day to reduce our carbon footprint and protect our environment.”
Purolator says its “journey to going green” began in 2005 with the addition of 500 hybrid vehicles to its fleet. It piloted all-electric vehicles and e-bikes in 2020, and became the first Canadian courier company to launch electric delivery vans in 2021.
