Battery-electric trucks begin moving cargo at Port of Vancouver
Six zero-emission vehicles are now hauling containers under a pilot program to test whether heavy-duty EVs can handle Canada's busiest port.
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Battery-electric container trucks have begun operating at the Port of Vancouver under a new pilot program testing whether zero-emission heavy-duty trucks can handle the demands of Canada's busiest port.
The Electric Container Trucking Program (ELECTRA) has put four battery-electric trucks into service, with two more expected later in 2026. Five Metro Vancouver trucking companies — Aheer Transportation Ltd., Lally Bros. Holding Ltd., Simard Westlink Inc., TransBC Freight Ltd., and West Coast Freight Ltd. — are each receiving at least one truck through subsidized five-year lease agreements that include charging equipment, driver training, maintenance support, and performance monitoring software.
Unlike diesel trucks, battery-electric vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions, reducing air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter. They also operate much more quietly, limiting noise in surrounding communities. Knight Street, known for high air pollution from container truck traffic to and from Burrard Inlet facilities, stands to benefit particularly from the shift.
The $3 million pilot is part of the Low Emission Technology Initiative, a partnership between the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and the BC government. Transport Canada, the province, and the port authority are funding the effort, with additional support from BC Hydro's Electric Vehicle Fleet Program. Fleet electrification company 7Gen is overseeing truck delivery and charging infrastructure.
Over the first year, the trucks' performance will be closely monitored to gather real-world data that industry and government partners will use to determine how battery-electric trucks could be adopted more broadly for container hauling at the port.