Oxford County is Leading the Way When it Comes to Going Green

Thursday, 26 October 2017 15:39

Oxford County can now boast to having the only hybrid ambulances and CNG powered Snow Plows in Canada.

WOODSTOCK - Oxford County is leading the way when it comes to using green technology in Canada.

Today they introduced five new vehicles to their feet using leading edge technology aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The two brand new snow plows are run using Compressed Natural Gas and two brand new ambulances are Canada's first hybrid-model.

Warden David Mayberry says this is all part of the Future Oxford Plan.

"With the 100 percent renewable plan, we do have to keep taking baby steps along the way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as we can, these are two more small steps, we might be slightly ahead of the curve compared to other municipalities but we see these as necessary steps."

CAO for the County Peter Crockett says we did have to have to pay a bit of a premium for the new equipment.

"The snow plows cost $325,000 each, which is about $70,000 more than a traditional vehicle, the ambulances are about $175,000 each and it is about a $35,000 premium for the electric hybrid conversion. These vehicles will make that money back over their life and more importantly have a significant impact on our environmental footprint."

Manager of Engineering Services Melissa Abercrombie says it is pretty special to be the first ones in Canada using this technology.

"Anytime you can introduce a Canadian first, especially something as iconic as a snow plow, it is really a special achievement. Our roads crews are excited to begin using this new technology to see how it performs under the harsh winter conditions. These vehicles receive heavy use and that's why it is so important to try and mitigate the environmental impact of our fleet."

Manager of Paramedic Services for Oxford County Public Health and Emergency Services Ben Addely says the new ambulances will increase fuel economy by 25% and reduce fuel costs by 20%.

"Oxford County Paramedic Services is committed to reducing our environmental impact, without compromising patient care or our ability to respond to emergencies. We believe the Fleetmax XL3 hybrid ambulance with the Eco-Run anti-idling system will help us accomplish that by allowing the equipment and temperature of the ambulance to have a continuous stream of power, even when the ambulance is not running. It's really an amazing integration of power and technology."

These new additions bring the number of green fleet vehicles to seven, with plans to convert or purchase 13 more CNG hybrid vehicles in the coming months.

The enhancements to the County's fleet will help achieve a projected 6.2% reduction in CO2 emissions per year, equivalent to keeping 38 barrels of oil in the ground, or preserving 19 acres of forest.