By Cheryl Jahn

Electric Zamboni

New electric Zamboni coming

Jan 23, 2020 | 1:27 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – As the City looks at replacing its fleet, it will take into consideration its options for going electric.

One fleet vehicle that is going electric for certain this year is not on that anyone will see on the streets of town. One of the City’s fleet of Zambonis will be electric this year.

“The benefits we’re seeing with electric Zambonis in those other communities is that you don’t have to be filling those propane tanks, you don’t need to have the propane tank filling stations and, from the health and safety point of view, you don’t have to move those propane tanks around,” explains Gina Layte-Liston, Director of Public Works. “You also don’t have those emissions inside the building anymore.”

The new electric Zamboni will cost about $168,000 but Layte-Liston says grants from the federal and provincial government for going electric will shave about $137,000.

Initially, when the electric Zamboni first came out, it didn’t have hat it takes to do the job. But that’s changed.

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“It was a conversation that I had with the Fleet Department last year,” explains Wade Loukes, Manager of Operations. “They did a lot of research from other communities and had very good feedback. When I heard that technology has really stepped up and the machine is very similar for horsepower, very similar to ours, we welcomed the opportunity to bring an electric machine in.”

The City has eight Zambonis: One in the Elksentre, two in Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, two at CN Centre and three for the Kin Centres. However, it has yet to be determined which of the fleet will be replaced with an electric counterpart.