CAA-Quebec takes the hybrid road - Two diesel-electric hybrid roadside assistance vehicles serving members

QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 1, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - With its two hybrid Emergency Road Service (ERS) trucks, fuelled by diesel and electricity, recently going into service, CAA-Quebec believes it may reduce its fuel consumption and harmful emissions by as much as 30% in comparison with its two similar ERS vehicles that operate solely on diesel.

For CAA-Quebec, the use of such technology is perfectly in line with its commitment to sustainable development and mobility. "In the very early 2000s, we were among the first organizations to use hybrid cars," says Sophie Gagnon, Assistant Vice President, Public and Government Relations, for CAA-Quebec. "For us, the entry into service today of these two ERS vehicles, one in Montreal and the other in Quebec City, is the logical continuation of our approach. And if we can rely on our experience with one of our first hybrid vehicles, still on the road with some 300,000 kilometres on its odometer after 12 years, we have nothing to fear from new technologies — quite the contrary!"

According to the representative and agent for Hino, the vehicle brand, CAA-Quebec is one of the very first organizations in Canada to adopt this technology for its roadside assistance service.

As for the new trucks' actual fuel consumption, only after some use it will be possible for CAA-Quebec to compare with the diesel-only models that make up the rest of its ERS fleet. But CAA-Quebec believes that this first step in the use of hybrid ERS vehicles will definitely enable the organization to minimize its greenhouse gas emissions and to show an entire industry that it is possible to reduce its carbon  footprint while remaining efficient and effective.

CAA-Quebec, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1904, provides automotive, travel, residential and financial services and privileges to its 1,230,000 members.

SOURCE: CAA-Québec

Philippe St-Pierre
Communications Advisor
418 624-2424, ext. 2418
Cell.: 418 580-1633
[email protected]