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Northern Health’s first zero-emissions vehicle is on the road!

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A Chevrolet Bolt with Northern Health decals is parked at a charging station.
The Bolt parked at the University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George.

Northern Health’s greenest vehicle is now on the road in Prince George – have you spotted it yet?

The all-electric 2020 Chevrolet Bolt arrived in mid-July and has been cruising around Prince George, giving staff a transportation alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Why the shift to electric?

“With societal changes and increasing demand for people to choose cleaner fuels, it was a no-brainer to take the leap and give electric vehicles a shot,” said Dillan Eckel, Northern Health’s coordinator of transportation and fleet services. “We wanted to see how they compare to the traditional ICE vehicles that we see on the roads now.”

With the recent influx of new ideas and designs around clean energy and reduced emission vehicles, it’s the perfect time for Northern Health to explore the use of an electric vehicle in the North.

Because of the need to charge frequently, electric vehicles used to be limited to shorter trips in urban areas. But with today’s technology, they have greater range, shorter charge times, and are more cost-effective compared to ICE vehicles.

The Chevrolet Bolt will be located in Prince George, with plans to move it to Smithers and Terrace as more charging stations are installed across Northern British Columbia.

For a list of charging stations available in Northern BC, check out PlugShare or ChargeHub.