The Town of Qualicum Beach and District of Saanich are among the first BC communities to road test the new plug-in electric, zero-emission Mitsubishi i-MiEV (“Innovative Electric Vehicle”). In a three-year pilot with Mitsubishi Motors, the communities will offer valuable data and feedback on the vehicle’s performance under a range of driving conditions.

The City of Vancouver and BC Hydro were first in BC to test the i-Miev in their fleets, beginning in 2009.

The i-Miev is scheduled for public rollout in Canada in the fall of 2011.

Town of Qualicum Beach

The Town of Qualicum Beach has been happy to add a 100% electric car to its municipal fleet.

"This car will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and help to attain our sustainability goals,” said Mayor Teunis Westbroek. “By replacing a fossil fuel vehicle with the electric Mitsubishi car, the Town of Qualicum Beach demonstrates that we are at the forefront of implementing electric vehicle technology in Canada.”

The Town of Qualicum Beach has installed three public electric charging stations to encourage uptake of electric vehicles.

District of Saanich

For the District of Saanich, the integration of electric vehicles into the municipal fleet signals the beginning of a significant shift in vehicle use, a key component of the Saanich Climate Action Plan.

In 2010 the municipality set a 2020 target of 5,000 electric vehicles in the community, and a 33% reduction target in community greenhouse gas emissions. Saanich cars, trucks and SUVs emit over 220,000 tonnes of emissions each year which represents 54% of Saanich’s total emissions.

The municipality will test the i-MiEV to evaluate the vehicle’s performance, distance range, and function within a municipal fleet.