Canada Post hauls mail with new wheels as e-trikes replace trucks on mail routes
Canada post is testing out a new, greener delivery method to serve customers while reducing traffic -- especially with the extra deliveries due to online shopping during the pandemic.
The solution? Electric cargo trikes.
Michael Melanson pedals hundreds of parcels per day with the aid of some battery back-up.
His e-trike has different settings to help haul the load.
“I keep it in 'tour' or 'sport mode', and use the 'turbo mode' when going up hills,” he said. “It gives me that extra bit of assistance.”
That extra bit of assistance helps ease the back-breaking work -- Melanson estimates he's pulling almost 500 pounds when fully loaded with mail.
Still, he prefers peddling over driving.
“There's just too much traffic on the road as it is, so it's nice to do something a bit more environmentally friendly, more green,” he said.
“One of the issues that major urban city centres experience is downtown urban congestion, and we know that Canada Post contributes to that,” said Sally Dam, Director of Urban Delivery Strategy.
“You've seen trucks on the side of the road blocking the traffic. So, an interesting solution that we want to test is with these electric cargo cycles.”
Canada Post is not the first to try electric delivery.
Purolator tested similar electric trikes last year and has since rolled them out in three cities, with Montreal being the first in Canada.
Canada Post says it's investing in technology to reduce its carbon footprint.
“We know that Canadians find that the environment is really important to them,” said Dan.
“So, because we are such a large, national organization, we have the opportunity to take on more of a leadership role.”
Melanson says the program started out with six volunteers, and two more have just joined.
He says people are happy to see him coming on the new wheels.
“It's kind of meditative as you're cycling,” he said.
“It's fun because people are always waving at us saying ‘oh look, Canada Post has an e-trike!’ so it's really quite fun.”
They may be fun and functional, but only until October. The e-trikes don’t have winter tires -- at least, not yet.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
Protest encampment cleared by Edmonton police early Saturday morning
A protest encampment set up on the University of Alberta campus was cleared early Saturday morning by Edmonton police.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.