House of Commons Considering Purchasing Electric Shuttle Bus for MPs

A station for charging electric vehicles in Irvine, Calif., on March 25, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The House of Commons is gathering information on what it would take to exchange its current shuttle bus for MPs for an electric one.

A request for information (RFI) issued on Dec. 21, 2023, is set to gather information about the costs and concerns associated with the switch.

The RFI is not a commitment by the government to purchase the vehicle, but rather to collect information from those in the industry about what would be required if the House decided to move forward with purchasing an electric bus.

“The main goal of this RFI is to identify the brands and models of battery electric vehicle (BEV), on the current market, more specifically, 16 to 20 passenger shuttle bus,” the document says.

MPs have access to the shuttle to conduct government business while in Ottawa. The current bus is a Ford E-360 that seats up to 16 passengers, according to the RFI.

A spokesperson for the Speaker’s Office told The Epoch Times in an email that the current shuttle traveled 75,000 kilometers in 2023.

The RFI closes on Jan. 22.

Canada to Move Toward 100 Percent Electric Vehicles

The RFI was released just two days after the federal government announced that all new vehicles sold by 2035 should be zero-emission.

“The electric vehicle availability standard that drives Canada towards all new light-duty vehicle sales in Canada to be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2035,” Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault said during a press conference on Dec. 19.

“This includes the interim goals along the way, beginning with 20 percent of all new vehicle sales being EVs by 2026.”

It’s a move that will cost Canadians $17.4 billion between 2024 and 2050, according to a regulatory impact analysis statement released by the federal government.

Switching to electric vehicles (EVs) is estimated to save $36.7 billion in energy costs, while consumers pay $54.1 billion to make the change. That’s a net cost of $17.4 billion.

“The Amendments are estimated to have incremental [zero emissions vehicles] and home charger costs of $54.1 billion from 2024 to 2050 for consumers who switch to [zero emissions vehicles] in response to the Amendments,” reads the statement. “These same consumers are expected to realize $36.7 billion in net energy savings over the same time period.”

The documents also note that reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using electric vehicles means Canada can avoid $96.1 billion in “global damages,” meaning the benefits of the switch equal $132.8 billion.

It’s something that has been rejected by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who said the province will do “everything within its legal jurisdiction” to oppose Ottawa’s plan.

“Alberta’s government supports reducing emissions from the transportation sector and supporting Albertans who wish to drive lower-emissions vehicles,” the premier said in an X post on Dec. 19 shortly after the federal government’s announcement. “However, these efforts must be led by and support consumers and businesses, and the federal government has no legal or moral authority to tell Albertans what vehicles they can and cannot buy.”

Research shows that Canadians’ interest in electric vehicles is dropping.

On Dec. 11, 2023, AutoTrader.ca published its top search data for 2023, which showed a rise in the popularity of trucks and declining interest in EVs from one year prior. Back in 2022, data showed that 68 percent of those surveyed who did not own an EV indicated an intent to buy one, but that fell to 56 percent in 2023.

Forty percent of those surveyed said the price of the vehicles was too high, and 23 percent said rising inflation is preventing them from buying an electric vehicle.

Matthew Horwood contributed to this report.