A Golden, B.C. company that’s set to build the hybrid-electric semi trucks in Canada says its plans are in jeopardy because of federal bureaucracy and climate emissions rules.
Edison Motors, whose plug-in electric trucks can cut heavy-duty fleet emissions by more than 70 per cent, said the federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Reduction won’t certify its engines for on-road use because the diesel generator technology used as part of the hybrid-electric configuration is so unique.
“The issue is nobody certifies a generator to on-highway emissions standards because nobody has built one of these before,” Chace Barber, Edison Motors’ president, said in an interview.
Edison is a small company with a huge online following that has successfully raised millions of dollars to get the first trucks to within months of completion.
A refusal by Ottawa to certify those trucks under required emissions standards could lead to the company failing to deliver promised vehicles to the National Research Council of Canada, Royal Oilfields Services, Emcon Services and Tolko Industries, as well as beginning to fill almost 4,000 paid pre-order clients.
“We won’t be able to build any hybrid electric trucks,” said Barber. Getting the setup certified would involve going to the United States and spending millions of dollars to achieve the EPA compliance recognized by Canada, he said.
“Being a Canadian unique company is really what hamstrings us,” he said. “There is no Canadian unique automobile manufacturer, all of them are American companies that sometimes build in Canada and certify in the United States.”
Two Opposition BC Conservative MLAs have written to the federal environment minister to request either an exemption or regulatory change to allow Edison Motors to build the trucks.
“This is not just a policy failure — it’s a direct hit to rural job creation,” wrote MLAs Harman Bhangu and Scott McInnis.
“Edison Motors is in the midst of creating dozens of skilled jobs for Golden, BC, and has taken the extraordinary step of building on-site housing to ensure employees have affordable accommodation without driving up local rents. This is responsible, community-focused economic development at its best, and it should be celebrated — not hindered by poorly thought-out regulations.”
‘Their default is to just say no’
Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin’s office said it wants to support innovation in electric vehicle technology, particularly in critical sectors.
“The department of Environment and Climate Change Canada remains in close contact with Edison Motors to work with them through the regulatory process as they seek to scale their business,” read the statement.
The design of Edison Motors’ trucks are currently undergoing the certification process by Transport Canada. They run mostly on electric motors, with the small diesel generator used to dynamically recharge the electric batteries on the road — a unique setup so far not seen anywhere else.
Barber said he’s proposed several solutions to Ottawa, including temporary exemptions from existing regulators, as well as changes that would let Canada recognize engines certified to European standards (which the Edison Motors setup exceeds).
“Their default is to just say no,” said Barber.
It’s particularly frustrating given that the federal government is using grant money through a private client to help purchase some of the trucks, and is publicly calling for made-in-Canada innovation in electric vehicles — only to tie innovation up with outdated regulations and a refusal to change them, he said.
At the same time, federal EV mandates are pushing industries to find creative solutions to go fully electric by 2035, only to then get hit with red tape and bureaucratic intransigence.
“If I was the federal government I’d be working with them and if it is something feasible I’d be working with them to get integrated in more vehicles,” said Bhangu.
McInnis, who is the local MLA for Edison Motors, said the community support the business.
“They hire local and support the next generation through the high school EV challenge,” he said.
“Unfortunately, provincial and federal EV mandates are creating unnecessary red-tape inhibiting them from pressing forward with their cutting-edge heavy truck technology.”
Without federal approval, company says it will abandon hybrid design
Heavy duty transportation is one of the big drivers of an 18 per cent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in B.C.’s transportation sector, pulling down the province’s ability to meet its climate goals. Finding ways to electrify heavy duty transport trucks is a key priority of the provincial government.
Yet, without the federal approval, Barber said he’ll have to abandon the electric semis and return to regular diesel-powered trucks.
“If they don’t approve the hybrids we will just build normal semi trucks,” he said. “But it is kind of insane that the same (government) that mandating everyone go hybrid is also saying we’re going to have to build mechanical trucks even though those mechanical trucks won’t be able to be sold in seven years.”
The company expects to have a 300-acre manufacturing facility in Golden operational by the end of the year, and needs a solution from Ottawa by then.