Videotron, a subsidiary of integrated communications company Quebecor Media Inc. (QBR-A-T), has ordered about 100 Ford E-Transit electric vans.

Quebecor also recently installed 55 charging stations at its Frontenac Street facility in Montreal to accommodate the vehicles. More charging stations will be added at other corporate facilities in the coming months.

In January, 2020, Quebecor pledged to electrify its 1,000-strong fleet of cars and light trucks at all its subsidiaries. The investment of more than $17.5 million will, according to a release, reduce the company’s GHG emissions by more than 50 per cent.

Quebecor has also joined EV100, a global initiative launched by the U.K.-based non-profit The Climate Group which promotes adoption of electric vehicles by businesses by 2030.

Li-Cycle revenues, expenses surge in Q1

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. reports significant increases in both operating expenses and revenues in its Q1 2022 financial statements. Revenues increased to $8.7 million from $0.3 million compared to the same period in 2021.

Operating expenses increased to $30 million, compared to $5.6 million for Q1 2021. The net loss for the quarter was approximately $20.7 million, compared to $7.8 million in the prior-year period.

Founded in 2016, Li-Cycle’s patented Spoke and Hub Technology can recycle all types of lithium batteries, and utilize the scrap discarded during battery production.

The company’s internal data states its low-temperature recycling process releases 70 per cent less carbon emissions compared to traditional battery recycling.

In May, SustainableBiz reported on Li-Cycle’s deal with commodity trading and mining company Glencore plc, which includes a $200-million investment from Glencore, to close in the third quarter of this year.

The company also has an agreement under which LG Chem and LG Energy Solutions will provide it with nickel-bearing lithium-ion battery scrap and other lithium-ion battery recycling material. In return, Li-Cycle will supply LG with nickel sulphate to be produced at Li-Cycle’s Rochester, N.Y. Hub, once it is operational.

Li-Cycle (LICY-N), based in Mississauga, plans to scale up its operations to recycle 65,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries by the end of 2023.

gofor enters pilot project with PI Energy

gofor Industries Inc. will be part of a pilot deployment program for San Diego-based PI Energy’s photovoltaic solar cell technology.

A delivery company committed to carbon-neutral last-mile services, gofor will use PI’s module in its electric vehicles. PI’s technology is based on nanofilm solar cells, using ultrathin silicon, and is designed to be wrapped on to EVs so they can be charged by sunlight.

The Ottawa-based company, founded in 2016, serves over 120 locations in Canada and the U.S.

According to gofor’s website, its proprietary approach uses an algorithm to track the least carbon-intensive route for deliveries. As SustainableBiz reported in May, the company plans to convert 50 per cent of its fleet to electric vehicles by 2025.

For every delivery made in a non-electric vehicle, the company promises to purchase carbon offsets.

The collaboration between gofor and PI will include the installation and performance evaluation, power generation and optimization, as well as pilot demonstration of PI’s technology.

“We believe PI Energy’s technology can provide new ways of improving our delivery performance for our customers, which makes our business even more sustainable and efficient, while also lowering the total cost of ownership for EVs,” said Ian Gardner, gofor’s CEO, in a statement. “Charging electric vehicles with surface-integrated solar PV allows us to drive further and cleaner while reducing the necessity and frequency of having to recharge the EV. . .”

A press release describes the program as the first “globally scalable photovoltaic deployment.”

In January, gofor signed the Climate Pledge, a commitment to net-zero carbon by 2040 founded by Amazon and the London-based environmental organization Global Optimism. It currently has 314 global signatories.

P.E.I. orders Lion Electric buses

The Canadian and P.E.I. governments have invested $6.5 million to purchase 35 electric school buses from Saint-Jérôme, Que.-based Lion Electric Company during the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

The funding comes from the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

There are 18,000 students in the province who travel by school bus daily.

Lion Electric (LEV-T) also recently partnered with Parc Safari, a zoo in Hemmingford, Que., to electrify seven of its safari tour trucks this year.

GreenPower electric buses in Washington

GreenPower Motor Company Inc. recently hosted a display and demonstration of its all-electric school and transit buses in Washington, D.C.

The event was planned in conjunction with Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), a U.S. federal coalition advocating for 100 per cent EV sales by 2030.

Vancouver-based GreenPower’s buses are eligible for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sustainability rebates. The Type D BEAST is eligible for up to $375,000 in rebates, and up to $285,000 for the Type A Nano BEAST. The EPA is also providing funding of up to $20,000 per bus for charging infrastructure for Level 2 charging systems.

SustainableBiz recently reported on GreenPower’s (GPV-X) acquisition of a facility South Charleston, W.Va. It will take ownership in August and begin production in September.

Ontario to receive new EV chargers

The Ministry of Natural Resources has made a $525,000 investment in the Region of Peel to install 69 electric vehicle (EV) chargers at workplaces, public places and for light-duty fleets.

Funded via Natural Resources Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), the chargers are to be installed by March 2024. The Region of Peel, City of Mississauga, Credit Valley Conservation and Town of Caledon have also contributed to the project, for a total cost of more than $1.6 million.

This year’s federal budget provides $400 million to Natural Resources Canada to continue deploying zero-emission vehicle infrastructure by extending the ZEVIP to March, 2027. It is complemented by $500 million which Canada Infrastructure Bank will invest in large-scale ZEV charging and refuelling infrastructure.

Transportation accounts for 25 per cent of GHG emissions in Canada.