Canada's first electric RCMP cruiser arrives on Vancouver Island
The RCMP's first fully electric police cruiser has entered service in Langford, B.C.
The shiny new Tesla Model Y was unveiled Tuesday and will be used by the West Shore RCMP on southern Vancouver Island.
Mounties say the vehicle is expected to reduce carbon emissions and the cost of fuel and maintenance compared to standard police vehicles.
According to the West Shore RCMP, the average cost of fuel and maintenance for one of their cruisers was $11,100 in 2020, with prices rising alongside inflation since then.
"This is the first ever fully electric RCMP police vehicle and we’re proud to be piloting it here in the West Shore detachment," said Supt. Todd Preston of the West Shore RCMP in a statement.
The West Shore RCMP is expecting to receive two more electric vehicles later this year, including a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV and Ford F-150 truck.
Mounties say the use of electric vehicles is "not a one size fits all approach" for different detachments across the country, since the RCMP work in a variety of regions.
Electric vehicles may not be tenable in northern regions, for example, according to the RCMP.
The early roll out of electric vehicles in the West Shore will be used by RCMP on a national level to see how electric vehicles perform, and where to best implement them.
"Our geography and mild winter weather make this an ideal test environment," said Preston.
While the new electric vehicle is the first to be used by the RCMP, other local police departments in Canada have introduced electric cars to their fleets, including in Oak Bay, B.C., and in Bridgewater, N.S.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.