Cleantech Forward: An Electric Future for Mining and Logging

1
00:00:11,705 --> 00:00:17,938
So just one fun fact for you, energy density of diesel is significantly higher than the
energy density of batteries.

2
00:00:17,938 --> 00:00:28,593
So if we're trying to electrify the fleets, the battery energy density challenge is
really, really significant on a mine site because utilization of equipment is so critical

3
00:00:28,593 --> 00:00:30,383
to the success of a mining operation.

4
00:00:30,383 --> 00:00:36,586
They need that equipment to move tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of tons
of material per day.

5
00:00:36,835 --> 00:00:44,737
The BC's mining and forestry sector supply the materials needed for everything from
batteries to construction and export them around the world.

6
00:00:44,737 --> 00:00:55,580
But when it comes to powering the fleets that carry these resources from pit to port or
forest to mill, diesel still dominates and electrifying them is anything but simple.

7
00:00:55,580 --> 00:00:56,560
The good news?

8
00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:02,901
Innovators in BC are rolling up their sleeves to tackle this challenge and drive real
change.

9
00:01:03,321 --> 00:01:06,126
I'm Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight Canada.

10
00:01:06,126 --> 00:01:08,588
and your host of Clean Tech Forward.

11
00:01:08,668 --> 00:01:15,013
Our guests today are doing the heavy lifting when it comes to decarbonizing BC's resource
hauling fleets.

12
00:01:15,013 --> 00:01:23,360
Join us as we explore some of the real world barriers and bold solutions reshaping
transportation in BC's mining and forestry sectors.

13
00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,842
That's all coming up in just a moment.

14
00:01:28,362 --> 00:01:30,923
Welcome to Clean Tech Forward.

15
00:01:30,963 --> 00:01:40,047
This season, we're exploring the challenges, opportunities and real-world solutions
shaping the future of British Columbia's clean transportation.

16
00:01:40,227 --> 00:01:47,630
Join us as we talk to leaders and innovators working to accelerate BC's path to a net-zero
economy.

17
00:01:47,690 --> 00:01:51,532
One that benefits people, planet and profits.

18
00:01:51,532 --> 00:01:57,582
From electric buses and tugboats to alternative fuels and shared infrastructure, buckle
up.

19
00:01:57,582 --> 00:02:00,463
for an electrifying ride into the future.

20
00:02:00,463 --> 00:02:05,284
Powered by Foresight Canada's BC Net Zero Innovation Network.

21
00:02:05,344 --> 00:02:09,686
At Foresight Canada, we help the world do more with less sustainably.

22
00:02:09,686 --> 00:02:19,108
The BC Net Zero Innovation Network is a first of its kind ecosystem platform that
accelerates the adoption of clean technologies throughout BC's top industries.

23
00:02:19,108 --> 00:02:22,249
Clean air, clean water, clean transportation.

24
00:02:22,249 --> 00:02:24,750
And Net Zero economy starts here.

25
00:02:29,552 --> 00:02:41,230
British Columbia's mining sector supplies the minerals that power the clean economy, like
the copper, nickel and silver used in EVs, batteries and solar panels, to the steel-making

26
00:02:41,230 --> 00:02:43,361
coal used in wind turbines.

27
00:02:43,361 --> 00:02:54,248
But extracting and transporting these resources takes a large amount of energy, and the
shift from diesel-powered fleets and infrastructure to low-carbon solutions can be costly

28
00:02:54,248 --> 00:02:55,669
and complex.

29
00:02:55,669 --> 00:02:58,871
That's where smart people like Flynn McCarthy come in.

30
00:02:58,871 --> 00:03:03,733
Flynn has dedicated his life's work to decarbonizing heavy industries.

31
00:03:03,733 --> 00:03:15,198
And as an advisor to the BC Net Zero Innovation Network, he's helping mining companies
tackle the tough realities of electrification, one heavy duty challenge at a time.

32
00:03:15,598 --> 00:03:18,579
Really excited about our conversation today.

33
00:03:18,579 --> 00:03:27,683
We're talking everything heavy metal, heavy emissions and the opportunities to decarbonize
transportation in BC's mining sector.

34
00:03:27,735 --> 00:03:31,435
I'm here with an incredible guest and expert, Flynn McCarthy.

35
00:03:31,435 --> 00:03:32,297
Thanks for having me, Janette.

36
00:03:32,297 --> 00:03:33,278
Yeah, much appreciated.

37
00:03:33,278 --> 00:03:37,079
I've been in decarbonization for heavy industry for about 20 years.

38
00:03:37,079 --> 00:03:47,184
I started in upstream oil and gas and moved into mining in about 2010, where I was the
lead carbon and energy manager for one of the world's largest gold mining companies.

39
00:03:47,184 --> 00:03:50,335
And in that, I saw the great opportunity to decarbonize mining.

40
00:03:50,335 --> 00:03:54,425
In terms of diesel burn, it's pretty significant, as we all know.

41
00:03:54,425 --> 00:04:05,656
lots of heavy haul trucks that need to move millions of tons of ore and waste to be able
to make gold or other types of precious metals and non-precious metals to bring to market.

42
00:04:05,656 --> 00:04:08,699
And since then, I've developed a consultancy around that.

43
00:04:08,699 --> 00:04:18,008
So I lead the consultancy, Sysenia Consulting, where we focus on helping mining companies
to basically set those greenhouse gas reduction targets and then find meaningful pathways

44
00:04:18,008 --> 00:04:18,728
to get there.

45
00:04:18,728 --> 00:04:19,791
I love that.

46
00:04:19,791 --> 00:04:30,685
So, you when you first started to see the opportunities around sustainability and mining,
was there a personal motivation or something that really triggered that sort of transition

47
00:04:30,685 --> 00:04:31,326
for you?

48
00:04:31,326 --> 00:04:36,528
mean, I've always been focused on greenhouse gas reduction, just considering the climate.

49
00:04:36,528 --> 00:04:37,828
That's why I started in oil and gas.

50
00:04:37,828 --> 00:04:38,929
had the largest emissions.

51
00:04:38,929 --> 00:04:47,662
But yeah, seeing the sort of interest from the mining companies and really the mining
companies have taken a much more aggressive approach to greenhouse gas reduction.

52
00:04:47,662 --> 00:04:49,249
They really are digging in.

53
00:04:49,249 --> 00:04:51,271
putting their money where their mouth is too.

54
00:04:51,271 --> 00:05:00,017
We're seeing quite a big sort of commitments from the industry as well as they're taking
on some really big tough challenges to transition their industry which is actually much

55
00:05:00,017 --> 00:05:02,238
harder than other industries to transition.

56
00:05:02,319 --> 00:05:03,079
absolutely.

57
00:05:03,079 --> 00:05:10,735
Well, we've been doing quite a bit of work on the BC Net Zero Innovation Network mining
cluster which is all about decarbonizing the mining sector.

58
00:05:10,735 --> 00:05:16,109
Let's sort of dig in to help the audience a little bit understand more about what the
challenges are.

59
00:05:16,109 --> 00:05:25,255
Starting with why decarbonizing mobile equipment in BC's mining sector is such a critical
component of meeting climate goals.

60
00:05:25,255 --> 00:05:34,440
The group that we have includes all the mining companies in BC, and we've been able to
sort of bring that to the table to say, okay, well, what can we really do for the mobile

61
00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:35,020
fleet?

62
00:05:35,020 --> 00:05:38,523
There's some pretty big energy use in that fleet.

63
00:05:38,523 --> 00:05:39,603
It's massive.

64
00:05:39,603 --> 00:05:42,925
It's almost more than all of the cars in BC.

65
00:05:43,089 --> 00:05:46,889
in terms of amount of horsepower that's used in those fleets.

66
00:05:46,889 --> 00:05:48,989
And they work 24-7 and 365.

67
00:05:48,989 --> 00:05:51,649
That's the way we've been mining for a very long time now.

68
00:05:51,649 --> 00:06:02,669
So trying to think about a different way to run that mobile fleet and all of those
different pieces of equipment has been a bit of a daunting challenge just because it's

69
00:06:02,669 --> 00:06:03,709
very ingrained.

70
00:06:03,709 --> 00:06:06,589
There's just not really, it hasn't been challenged.

71
00:06:06,589 --> 00:06:09,269
The diesel supremacy has been there for a while now.

72
00:06:09,269 --> 00:06:11,727
And it's easy for people to keep doing the same thing.

73
00:06:11,727 --> 00:06:12,047
Right?

74
00:06:12,047 --> 00:06:13,499
Change is hard.

75
00:06:13,499 --> 00:06:15,670
Change management is a big piece of it.

76
00:06:15,670 --> 00:06:24,348
think spend more time on the change management piece than actually the introduction of new
technologies because there's so many great solutions available.

77
00:06:24,348 --> 00:06:24,748
Right?

78
00:06:24,748 --> 00:06:25,469
Yeah.

79
00:06:25,469 --> 00:06:25,719
Yeah.

80
00:06:25,719 --> 00:06:29,112
The risks are high and the risks in your body are high.

81
00:06:29,112 --> 00:06:32,585
So traditionally miners have been very conservative in that regard.

82
00:06:32,585 --> 00:06:39,961
They don't want to change too much of the way they mine because there's so many risks not
knowing if there's actual metal in the ground.

83
00:06:40,281 --> 00:06:42,862
They reduce the risk when it comes to operations.

84
00:06:43,162 --> 00:06:45,303
Change is never easy.

85
00:06:45,303 --> 00:06:54,087
But operators in BC's mining industry are embracing some cleaner alternatives such as
electric vehicles and lower carbon fuels.

86
00:06:54,387 --> 00:06:59,569
Still, electrifying whole mobile fleets presents real physical challenges.

87
00:06:59,569 --> 00:07:05,872
From remote site locations with extreme weather to limited on-site power and charging
infrastructure.

88
00:07:05,872 --> 00:07:08,847
These are exactly the kinds of challenges

89
00:07:08,847 --> 00:07:21,427
the BC Net Zero Innovation Network is tackling head on by bringing industry and innovators
together to overcome barriers and accelerate real world solutions.

90
00:07:21,568 --> 00:07:25,984
BC has a lot of supply, but we don't have transmission lines to every mining operation.

91
00:07:25,984 --> 00:07:28,454
They're in fairly remote locations.

92
00:07:28,454 --> 00:07:30,675
So that's the macro level.

93
00:07:30,816 --> 00:07:35,980
And then on the micro level, it's really how do those pieces of equipment integrate into
the site operations?

94
00:07:35,980 --> 00:07:37,571
So just one fun fact for you.

95
00:07:37,571 --> 00:07:42,294
energy density of diesel is significantly higher than the energy density of batteries.

96
00:07:42,294 --> 00:07:52,962
So, if we're trying to electrify the fleets, the battery energy density challenge is
really, really significant on a mine site because utilization of equipment is so critical

97
00:07:52,962 --> 00:07:54,753
to the success of a mining operation.

98
00:07:54,753 --> 00:08:01,058
They need that equipment to move tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of tons
of material per day.

99
00:08:01,258 --> 00:08:04,681
So, in order to achieve that, that energy density has to be there.

100
00:08:04,681 --> 00:08:05,657
So, they have to...

101
00:08:05,657 --> 00:08:13,759
essentially figure out ways to charge, you know, in every potential possible way, even
dynamically when they're actually on the move.

102
00:08:14,100 --> 00:08:16,580
Setting up a mine site has to be different too.

103
00:08:16,580 --> 00:08:25,753
It isn't the same as a traditional diesel mine site because we don't fuel every shift, we
fuel maybe every 15 minutes with those oil trucks or maybe even every load in and out of

104
00:08:25,753 --> 00:08:26,303
the pit.

105
00:08:26,303 --> 00:08:32,055
So that's the sort of micro level challenges is sort of what are those charging
infrastructure look like?

106
00:08:32,055 --> 00:08:35,697
how do those pieces of equipment interact with the charging infrastructure?

107
00:08:35,697 --> 00:08:43,610
When do the drivers take their breaks and things like that to ensure that we're optimizing
charge times and things like that.

108
00:08:43,610 --> 00:08:45,371
So yeah, there's quite a few.

109
00:08:45,371 --> 00:08:56,777
it's really an operational overhaul, reimagining the flow of all the people and supports
and processes, leveraging these new technologies and solutions.

110
00:08:56,777 --> 00:08:57,197
Yeah.

111
00:08:57,197 --> 00:08:57,989
And also

112
00:08:57,989 --> 00:09:01,230
We're dealing with also remote mining operations in the north.

113
00:09:01,230 --> 00:09:04,751
So there's 60 feet of snow sometimes that we've got to deal with.

114
00:09:04,751 --> 00:09:11,623
So trying to figure out how to get that charging system so that it doesn't matter if
there's 60 feet of snow.

115
00:09:11,623 --> 00:09:17,615
You don't have to have somebody hand digging the charging station out every two hours to
make sure that it's available.

116
00:09:17,615 --> 00:09:23,556
In some ways, it's looking at a whole different mix of technologies that you don't
traditionally think of to move your materials.

117
00:09:23,556 --> 00:09:26,929
And that can be also, you get all these different handling.

118
00:09:26,929 --> 00:09:30,769
stations and you're adding complexity every time you add a new system.

119
00:09:30,769 --> 00:09:33,989
It's no longer just one truck from the pit to the mill.

120
00:09:34,029 --> 00:09:36,929
You're adding a whole bunch of new pieces to it.

121
00:09:36,929 --> 00:09:40,349
So far what we've done is we've actually started with some of the ancillary stuff.

122
00:09:40,349 --> 00:09:48,429
So things like the boom trucks and the trucks that takes the, know, basically the kind of
they don't need to be working 24 seven 365.

123
00:09:48,509 --> 00:09:52,389
We started there, the scoops and the shovels and the drills.

124
00:09:52,389 --> 00:09:53,989
Those can all be electrified.

125
00:09:53,989 --> 00:09:55,665
I wouldn't say easily.

126
00:09:55,665 --> 00:10:01,579
There's still challenges with snow and trailing cables and things like that, but for the
most part, those are where we're starting.

127
00:10:01,579 --> 00:10:04,051
It's trying to get a handle on that, trying to understand.

128
00:10:04,051 --> 00:10:11,796
Even just personnel carriers, to, the little pickup trucks that run around the site,
trying to make sure that the operators and the foremen are charging them up so that the

129
00:10:11,796 --> 00:10:13,868
next shift doesn't have a low battery.

130
00:10:13,868 --> 00:10:16,220
There's actually logistical challenges there too.

131
00:10:16,340 --> 00:10:23,055
Like every transportation sector making an effort to decarbonize, heavy hauling has its
unique challenges.

132
00:10:23,099 --> 00:10:28,111
but it also has some promising solutions taking shape right here in BC.

133
00:10:28,192 --> 00:10:35,716
Flynn gets to see firsthand what the mining industry is adopting, what's working, and
what's helping the sector move forward.

134
00:10:35,776 --> 00:10:42,119
Right now, battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, are leading the charge.

135
00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,942
So most of the focus on currently is on the BEV side.

136
00:10:45,942 --> 00:10:50,564
So there's some big name companies that have attempted hydrogen.

137
00:10:50,664 --> 00:10:52,245
I believe it was

138
00:10:52,625 --> 00:11:02,152
Well Fortescue had a focus on hydrogen just two years ago and then we were all surprised
to see they switched to BEVs last year during the mine expo.

139
00:11:02,152 --> 00:11:04,363
So I think that there's been a fairly significant shift.

140
00:11:04,363 --> 00:11:10,361
We've had some really good pilots of hydrogen, different operations and really, you know,
trying to process it.

141
00:11:10,361 --> 00:11:16,001
It just seemed like hydrogen has always been all of it behind the BEV sort of production.

142
00:11:16,041 --> 00:11:20,464
And so we're seeing now a fairly significant BEV implementation.

143
00:11:20,464 --> 00:11:22,365
We've got orders for

144
00:11:22,511 --> 00:11:29,415
graders and loaders and scoops and a lot of different technologies that are just becoming
readily commercially available.

145
00:11:29,415 --> 00:11:31,536
So that tech is sort of out there.

146
00:11:31,536 --> 00:11:39,200
And I think what happens is that the site gets familiar with their, you know, their
battery electric pickup trucks, and then they get more familiar with their battery

147
00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:40,061
electric scoops.

148
00:11:40,061 --> 00:11:47,715
And then they're more familiar with, know, it just sort of trickles on so that becoming an
electric fleet is lot easier to sort of manage.

149
00:11:47,715 --> 00:11:50,957
I think that that's where the BEV fleet has really taken over.

150
00:11:50,957 --> 00:11:51,727
um

151
00:11:51,727 --> 00:11:54,398
just because it's fairly familiar on that basis.

152
00:11:54,398 --> 00:12:00,670
And most of the sites that are large have grid connections or they'll have a large
generation capacity.

153
00:12:00,670 --> 00:12:05,861
they're fairly familiar with power and power handling, even in the pit operations and
things like that.

154
00:12:05,861 --> 00:12:08,797
And I guess miners historically have used electricity.

155
00:12:08,797 --> 00:12:19,161
you know, the first, the conveyors and the cable cars and the hoists that historically,
or, you know, back in the 20s and 30s, was, mining was electric actually, so.

156
00:12:19,161 --> 00:12:24,796
It even had electric locomotives for underground mining operations way back in the early
days.

157
00:12:24,796 --> 00:12:28,368
So maybe it's a renaissance of electric, if you will.

158
00:12:29,350 --> 00:12:35,434
Electric technology is proving to be an encouraging fit for decarbonizing the mining
industry.

159
00:12:35,495 --> 00:12:41,960
The good news is even more heavy duty electric equipment is becoming commercially
available.

160
00:12:42,021 --> 00:12:47,429
Fun fact, British Columbia has a rich history of heavy duty truck manufacturing.

161
00:12:47,429 --> 00:12:49,770
that goes back to the 1940s.

162
00:12:49,770 --> 00:12:55,693
While that legacy slowed in recent decades, we're starting to make a name for ourselves
again.

163
00:12:55,693 --> 00:12:59,814
This time, for cleaner, smarter trucking technology.

164
00:12:59,814 --> 00:13:08,718
Next up, we meet Edison Motors, a BC company credited with building Canada's first
production electric hybrid truck.

165
00:13:09,118 --> 00:13:16,241
So let's dig right in, introduce yourself, and just tell us about Edison Motors and what
you're working on there.

166
00:13:16,241 --> 00:13:17,941
Well, we're pretty cool trucks.

167
00:13:17,941 --> 00:13:21,501
My name is Eric, CEO, co-founder of Edison.

168
00:13:21,501 --> 00:13:23,161
Been doing this for the last four years.

169
00:13:23,161 --> 00:13:26,781
Kind of started from a crazy idea in the backyard here in Merritt, BC.

170
00:13:26,781 --> 00:13:30,401
Yeah, I ended up commercializing a vehicle back in 2023.

171
00:13:30,401 --> 00:13:33,041
First electric logging truck in the world.

172
00:13:33,041 --> 00:13:36,181
Super proud Canadian trying to build cool vehicles.

173
00:13:36,181 --> 00:13:42,381
And here we are now, you know, raising money, you know, building a really cool production
facility in Donald soon.

174
00:13:42,581 --> 00:13:45,965
What a great time to be doing this, having a blast.

175
00:13:45,965 --> 00:13:46,605
Amazing.

176
00:13:46,605 --> 00:13:56,690
We did a project with FP Innovations and one of the major challenges around the logging
industry or forestry is just the weight and size of these materials.

177
00:13:56,690 --> 00:14:01,912
Has that been just one of the interesting components of the problem you're solving?

178
00:14:01,912 --> 00:14:05,164
Well, we're pretty fortunate to have a lot of experience in this.

179
00:14:05,164 --> 00:14:07,875
So Chase and I, Chase is another co-founder, of course.

180
00:14:07,875 --> 00:14:09,576
He's sort of the front man of the show.

181
00:14:09,576 --> 00:14:13,083
So we actually used to have a fleet of logging trucks.

182
00:14:13,083 --> 00:14:14,844
Chase is a kind of veteran driver.

183
00:14:14,844 --> 00:14:21,360
He's been on Discovery Channel, Mud Mountain Haulers, ah know, Highway Through Hell, you
name it.

184
00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,282
So he's just got a lot of experience.

185
00:14:23,282 --> 00:14:25,744
We started a trucking company actually when we were university.

186
00:14:25,744 --> 00:14:27,195
So we have a lot of experience doing this.

187
00:14:27,195 --> 00:14:31,027
We're very comfortable within this weight class because that's actually all we know.

188
00:14:32,429 --> 00:14:38,153
The origin story of the first truck Eric and his team built is pretty inspiring.

189
00:14:38,174 --> 00:14:42,161
Just a couple of Canadians getting their hands dirty in the backyard.

190
00:14:42,161 --> 00:14:45,581
turning bold ideas into reality.

191
00:14:45,941 --> 00:14:51,321
Yeah, so to paint the picture here, we're in Chase's mom's backyard, right?

192
00:14:51,321 --> 00:14:54,281
And we're, you know, in our early 20s.

193
00:14:54,281 --> 00:14:58,241
And we had this crazy idea, obviously building the solar project.

194
00:14:58,661 --> 00:15:03,501
And Chase, you know, has quite a bit of following because of being on Discovery Channel,
et cetera.

195
00:15:03,501 --> 00:15:05,501
You know, this is back in the day.

196
00:15:05,541 --> 00:15:10,961
And here he is, you know, coming to me at night going, hey, I incorporated a business.

197
00:15:10,961 --> 00:15:12,201
I was like, well, what's it called?

198
00:15:12,201 --> 00:15:15,341
And he's like, it's called Edison Motors, you know, because we're going against Tesla.

199
00:15:15,341 --> 00:15:17,221
And I'm like, crazy, man.

200
00:15:20,837 --> 00:15:23,729
We got tired of waiting for the Tesla Semi to come about.

201
00:15:23,729 --> 00:15:30,925
So we said, screw it, we'll make our own truck and I'll start my own electric truck
company and I'll call it Edison Motors because I'm stealing Tesla's idea.

202
00:15:31,846 --> 00:15:36,249
So anyway, after that, you know, head to the ground stone.

203
00:15:36,250 --> 00:15:37,811
We said, how are we going to fund this thing?

204
00:15:37,811 --> 00:15:41,003
Because it's, mean, building trucks is very expensive.

205
00:15:41,003 --> 00:15:42,945
Building a solar project is expensive, right?

206
00:15:42,945 --> 00:15:48,409
So um he basically reached out to his fan base and said, hey, I just incorporated a
company.

207
00:15:48,409 --> 00:15:50,681
You know, can we get your support?

208
00:15:50,953 --> 00:15:53,495
And it was like resounding yes.

209
00:15:53,495 --> 00:15:57,077
We got a lot of people to say, hey, you should try crowdfunding.

210
00:15:57,077 --> 00:16:00,710
So I reached out to a few people within the network in BC.

211
00:16:00,710 --> 00:16:05,683
We did a crowdfunding round and in a few months we were able to raise $400,000.

212
00:16:05,683 --> 00:16:13,549
And we used that to basically build a conversion kit for one of our trucks that we had in
our fleet.

213
00:16:13,549 --> 00:16:17,472
A beautiful 1962 Kenworth originally made in Vancouver.

214
00:16:17,472 --> 00:16:20,153
This is when Canada used to actually make trucks.

215
00:16:20,337 --> 00:16:23,558
uh So we converted that using an old Tesla.

216
00:16:23,558 --> 00:16:28,719
And what we ended up doing there was develop like a center drive motor going to the axle.

217
00:16:28,719 --> 00:16:30,970
So a very easy drop-in solution.

218
00:16:30,970 --> 00:16:32,700
I hacked into the Tesla.

219
00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:37,142
I was able to figure all that stuff out just because I have a bit of experience with
electric systems.

220
00:16:37,142 --> 00:16:41,943
The batteries we took from a Tesla as well and I got to learn how to program these.

221
00:16:42,123 --> 00:16:49,591
And after building that project, we brought it down to the Hope Brigade days, um which is
cool because Chase is originally from Hope.

222
00:16:49,591 --> 00:16:56,405
So we went down, got to see the family, and it's amazing the people that showed up from
all over the world to congratulate us.

223
00:16:56,405 --> 00:17:00,607
In less than a year, we built our first prototype and it worked.

224
00:17:00,887 --> 00:17:02,348
We were able to drive it down.

225
00:17:02,348 --> 00:17:05,790
had tons of cool people show up with cameras.

226
00:17:05,790 --> 00:17:12,021
And we took an opportunity during that weekend to open up a second round of crowdfunding
and we were blown away.

227
00:17:12,021 --> 00:17:18,147
1.5 million raised in that weekend, which is the maximum, which is a very limiting
regulation.

228
00:17:18,147 --> 00:17:19,109
I can get into that later.

229
00:17:19,109 --> 00:17:25,191
but ultimately we were able to leverage crowdfunding to build our own truck from the
ground up in 2023.

230
00:17:25,191 --> 00:17:28,111
We call her Topsy.

231
00:17:28,472 --> 00:17:30,192
All right, welcome to Edison Motors.

232
00:17:30,192 --> 00:17:37,554
I wanna show you our electric truck, show you how it works, show you how it runs and
really what makes an Edison truck an Edison truck.

233
00:17:37,554 --> 00:17:41,795
So to introduce us, this is our first uh production prototype.

234
00:17:41,795 --> 00:17:48,117
We named it Topsy after the elephant Thomas Edison electrocuted, but this is the Edison
truck.

235
00:17:48,761 --> 00:17:54,014
She is literally 100 % built in Canada using frame rails, our own axles.

236
00:17:54,014 --> 00:17:56,286
We didn't use anything from Tesla at that point.

237
00:17:56,286 --> 00:18:01,961
And it was all about taking the lessons learned from our first prototype and making it way
better.

238
00:18:01,961 --> 00:18:02,579
I love it.

239
00:18:02,579 --> 00:18:06,676
Those are the real, you know, startup stories that people need to understand.

240
00:18:06,676 --> 00:18:07,873
You know, that's what it's like.

241
00:18:07,873 --> 00:18:09,774
And that's a good place for anyone to start.

242
00:18:09,774 --> 00:18:13,476
You can start from your home, come up with an idea and bring it to life.

243
00:18:13,476 --> 00:18:14,157
Absolutely.

244
00:18:14,157 --> 00:18:15,117
You definitely.

245
00:18:15,117 --> 00:18:21,829
It's important as entrepreneurs to signal to people that it's hard, but it's fun and it's,
anyone can do this, right?

246
00:18:21,829 --> 00:18:24,280
It's, you know, we're not special individuals here.

247
00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:25,230
We just have a passion.

248
00:18:25,230 --> 00:18:26,660
want to run with it.

249
00:18:26,660 --> 00:18:33,302
And it was so great to have a supportive family behind us as we, as we kind of built this
from the ground up.

250
00:18:33,302 --> 00:18:34,562
And here we are.

251
00:18:34,803 --> 00:18:39,444
Eric and the Edison team are far from just one truck ponies.

252
00:18:39,444 --> 00:18:43,569
They've got big plans to serve the heavy hauling trucking industry.

253
00:18:43,569 --> 00:18:48,929
by rolling out entire fleets powered by cleaner, more efficient technology.

254
00:18:49,009 --> 00:18:57,309
Maybe tell us a little bit about how you're going to scale, you know, the ability to buy
your solutions in fleets, like for a complete fleet.

255
00:18:57,309 --> 00:18:58,649
Is there a path to that?

256
00:18:58,649 --> 00:19:01,269
Oh, it's, it's gonna be no short of a miracle.

257
00:19:01,269 --> 00:19:04,429
But ultimately, what we're trying to do is get to production, right?

258
00:19:04,429 --> 00:19:08,809
So these first 10 vehicles that we're building this year are prototypes.

259
00:19:09,425 --> 00:19:18,605
kind of off the hop of what we did with our first production prototype two years ago,
TOPSI, which was basically Canada's first production vehicle from the ground up since back

260
00:19:18,605 --> 00:19:19,685
in the 90s.

261
00:19:19,685 --> 00:19:23,505
So it's been a long time since Canadians built trucks for the road.

262
00:19:23,505 --> 00:19:26,765
So great to have that legacy come back to our shores.

263
00:19:26,765 --> 00:19:30,885
And yeah, the production plan is actually to move to Donald, BC.

264
00:19:30,885 --> 00:19:35,065
We just purchased a property there, 305 acres, if you can believe it.

265
00:19:35,065 --> 00:19:38,809
And there we have a lot of breathing room, a lot of space to grow.

266
00:19:38,809 --> 00:19:45,723
So we're very excited about the opportunity to be able to build a manufacturing facility
and meet our production targets.

267
00:19:47,953 --> 00:19:49,913
Okay, so we got some exciting news.

268
00:19:49,913 --> 00:19:53,673
We found a place to build our shop and start building trucks.

269
00:19:53,673 --> 00:19:55,693
here with the boys we're getting this property from.

270
00:19:55,693 --> 00:19:57,173
We're here in Golden.

271
00:19:57,173 --> 00:20:02,133
A little history, this one used to be back in the 1800s for CP, right?

272
00:20:02,133 --> 00:20:04,453
The visual headquarters of CP Rail.

273
00:20:04,453 --> 00:20:07,493
Literally this used to be the town of Donald, right here.

274
00:20:07,493 --> 00:20:11,697
One of the cool things about this property is that it's 300 acres of land.

275
00:20:11,697 --> 00:20:15,109
Part of the CMVSS requirements, require a test track.

276
00:20:15,109 --> 00:20:18,852
So we need at least like a two kilometer test track to test our trucks.

277
00:20:18,852 --> 00:20:22,735
This 300 acres of land is gonna give us room to do that, room to expand in the future.

278
00:20:22,735 --> 00:20:26,317
We're gonna put our shop in over behind us that way.

279
00:20:26,317 --> 00:20:28,248
Should be exciting.

280
00:20:29,890 --> 00:20:34,993
Scaling up production of these trucks is exciting, but what about the drivers?

281
00:20:34,993 --> 00:20:40,389
Getting drivers on board with new technology is another critical piece of the puzzle.

282
00:20:40,389 --> 00:20:43,051
Fortunately, Edison has addressed this.

283
00:20:43,051 --> 00:20:49,175
They've proven they're just as good at building community support as they are at building
trucks.

284
00:20:49,275 --> 00:20:53,278
Tell us, so you've got someone on staff, your co-founder, who's a driver.

285
00:20:53,278 --> 00:20:56,961
What about some of the other drivers in the network?

286
00:20:56,961 --> 00:21:03,013
How do they feel about the opportunity to take on some new technology and drive new
trucks?

287
00:21:03,013 --> 00:21:12,260
Well, I'd say we're quite fortunate with our social media platform to be able to reach out
to millions of Canadians and Americans, basically around the world with every post.

288
00:21:12,260 --> 00:21:15,963
We've got some great people on our team and great customers.

289
00:21:15,963 --> 00:21:25,093
We worked really hard over the last year on developing partners that uh are kind of
leaders in their own industry and want to push what is possible with electrification.

290
00:21:25,093 --> 00:21:29,596
Funny enough, one of our inspiring people on our team is Richard Bosch.

291
00:21:29,596 --> 00:21:33,438
He's part of De Boss Garage, which is a very famous Canadian YouTube channel.

292
00:21:33,438 --> 00:21:43,323
And to think that one of the most famous Canadian pickup truck mechanics would actually
want to work with us based on our pathways and how excited we are.

293
00:21:43,323 --> 00:21:47,186
ah It's so cool to have this community built around Edison.

294
00:21:47,186 --> 00:21:47,766
Yeah.

295
00:21:47,766 --> 00:21:50,187
I mean, it's validation of your work and your vision, right?

296
00:21:50,187 --> 00:21:52,849
That people with a big following are now in...

297
00:21:52,849 --> 00:21:55,170
involved with what you're doing, what you're building.

298
00:21:55,170 --> 00:21:56,350
Exactly.

299
00:21:56,911 --> 00:22:03,554
For Edison Motors, it's not just about turning heads on social media, although that
certainly helps.

300
00:22:03,594 --> 00:22:11,657
It's about driving real change by helping heavy industry transition to cleaner, more
cost-effective technologies.

301
00:22:11,658 --> 00:22:18,895
Why is decarbonizing log hauling and smaller moving equipment so critical to meeting
climate targets in the space?

302
00:22:18,895 --> 00:22:21,186
Well, it's important just from a cost perspective.

303
00:22:21,186 --> 00:22:26,069
So when we were running our trucks, was about 600 bucks a day in fuel and that was before
COVID.

304
00:22:26,069 --> 00:22:31,332
So I'm sure it's even got higher because of the carbon taxes and extra cost of fuels
imposed.

305
00:22:31,332 --> 00:22:36,235
You're talking about some serious dollars and that's obviously just being burnt up in the
atmosphere.

306
00:22:36,235 --> 00:22:45,029
So what's really cool about our technology is by utilizing regenerative braking when
you're fully loaded, you're using the kinetic energy of the logs to recharge your

307
00:22:45,029 --> 00:22:46,040
batteries.

308
00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:48,273
And I think that's why logging is the

309
00:22:48,273 --> 00:22:57,142
perfect application for electric mobility, just because you're going uphill very slowly
and you're obviously not to have any the way to the logs.

310
00:22:57,142 --> 00:23:00,946
So it's the perfect application and we're so pleased to have built the first.

311
00:23:00,946 --> 00:23:06,751
And now we're actually building the second for Tulco, which is one of the largest logging
outfitters in BC.

312
00:23:06,751 --> 00:23:12,985
are some of the biggest barriers to electrifying fleets like long log, wagon logger and
bucket trucks?

313
00:23:12,985 --> 00:23:21,230
Well, I'd say the first technological hurdle was just the amount of power that you need to
move that kind of weight.

314
00:23:21,230 --> 00:23:26,973
So we really tried to develop a truck platform that was based around trains.

315
00:23:26,973 --> 00:23:37,468
So as soon as you kind of appreciate the train locomotive power and torque that's
available, implementing that in a truck was actually a lot easier for us to understand and

316
00:23:37,468 --> 00:23:43,211
obviously get our whole engineering team to appreciate because a lot of these parts are
already readily available.

317
00:23:43,449 --> 00:23:46,451
And secondly, it's the charging infrastructure.

318
00:23:46,451 --> 00:23:57,419
So for us to have this mindset of building hybrid as the priority really gave us the
opportunity to ensure that no customer would have to rely on infrastructure that wasn't

319
00:23:57,419 --> 00:23:58,539
available.

320
00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:05,545
And obviously, all good intentions, we are trying to develop a fully electric platform.

321
00:24:05,545 --> 00:24:08,167
But ultimately, there's no charging infrastructure out there yet.

322
00:24:08,167 --> 00:24:10,728
So at least we have a diesel generator for now.

323
00:24:10,772 --> 00:24:13,775
And in due time, we just replace that engine with batteries, right?

324
00:24:13,775 --> 00:24:14,575
So that makes sense.

325
00:24:14,575 --> 00:24:23,363
You're taking almost off the shelf pieces and combining them in a unique way to come up
with like basically a decarbonized vehicle platform.

326
00:24:23,363 --> 00:24:23,733
Yeah.

327
00:24:23,733 --> 00:24:25,424
mean, ultimately, we're just a bunch of loggers.

328
00:24:25,424 --> 00:24:32,710
So, you know, I have a bit of a technical background in solar installation, which is a
great thing because I understood batteries.

329
00:24:32,710 --> 00:24:39,035
But ultimately, we're just regular Joes trying to build a great product because we love
the industry and we love the folks that work it.

330
00:24:39,035 --> 00:24:40,308
That's amazing.

331
00:24:40,308 --> 00:24:51,893
When you think about your approach with a hybrid model, do you have a perspective on other
clean technology applications that make sense, battery electric, hydrogen, et cetera?

332
00:24:51,893 --> 00:24:56,494
Well, I think we're doing the hybrid system because it's just far more efficient.

333
00:24:56,494 --> 00:24:58,956
We understand the system quite well.

334
00:24:59,136 --> 00:25:07,316
The engine that we selected is actually a European engine supplier named Scania, and they
have a really robust technology that we can leverage.

335
00:25:07,316 --> 00:25:11,238
Generators are just so much more efficient than mechanical drive systems, right?

336
00:25:11,238 --> 00:25:17,060
You're not, you know, loading, you're not losing your torque as you're just shifting
through the gears.

337
00:25:17,060 --> 00:25:20,181
Electric torque is just flat curved all the way up.

338
00:25:20,181 --> 00:25:23,563
It's unbelievable how efficient electric systems are.

339
00:25:23,563 --> 00:25:30,786
So by using a generator, um I think that that'll be a great pathway and it'll last for
years and years to come.

340
00:25:30,786 --> 00:25:37,308
I would foresee that maybe in the next 20 years um as the charging infrastructure becomes
more available.

341
00:25:37,672 --> 00:25:47,335
Some of our customers will actually opt to not get a diesel engine within our platform and
instead just have a battery under the hood where that generator would be placed.

342
00:25:47,335 --> 00:25:56,157
And I think that that's kind of our pathway here because we at Edison would love to be
part of the transition within the Canadian economy to embrace more commercial vehicle

343
00:25:56,157 --> 00:25:57,197
chargers.

344
00:25:57,417 --> 00:26:02,079
Eric and his team have even bigger plans beyond the forestry sector.

345
00:26:02,219 --> 00:26:07,390
They're building technology designed to scale into mining, construction,

346
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:11,023
and other industrial sectors ready for electrification.

347
00:26:11,163 --> 00:26:14,987
When you think about your users, you you're serving the forestry sector right now.

348
00:26:14,987 --> 00:26:23,473
I imagine the same platform will be able to be applied to mining vehicles and other large
industrial sites.

349
00:26:23,473 --> 00:26:24,415
Absolutely.

350
00:26:24,415 --> 00:26:25,896
Well, that's my background, right?

351
00:26:25,896 --> 00:26:30,556
So I wanted to make a versatile platform, a truck that really is a power plant on wheels.

352
00:26:30,556 --> 00:26:31,407
And yeah, you're right.

353
00:26:31,407 --> 00:26:38,581
Mining has actually been another critical focus of ours just because it's such a big part
of our economy in British Columbia and I'm a proud British Columbian.

354
00:26:38,581 --> 00:26:47,966
So I want to make sure that some of our largest tax generators, which is the mining
industry, can access this great technology because of the amount of truly the fuel that

355
00:26:47,966 --> 00:26:54,450
they save is like unbelievable, especially for some of these applications like Highland
Valley Copper right down the road from us.

356
00:26:54,450 --> 00:26:57,760
And beyond this too, we want to really focus on construction.

357
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,280
Concrete mixers would be just the perfect application for this.

358
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:07,260
Any type of city utility, heck, you have a garbage truck is a good example.

359
00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:13,660
And beyond this, forestry is being sort of the catalyst of all this and being a great
application.

360
00:27:13,660 --> 00:27:20,960
think it lends to so many industries within that kind of commercial vehicle class, which
includes class five, six, seven, eight.

361
00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:27,520
Eight being the big heavy duty trucks with a 37 ton upwards in terms of weight ability.

362
00:27:27,636 --> 00:27:37,299
For electric trucking solutions to work for mining and forestry, the charging
infrastructure needs to reach even the most remote off-grid locations.

363
00:27:37,299 --> 00:27:40,500
That's where micro-grids come in.

364
00:27:40,501 --> 00:27:47,723
And Flynn has seen some promising examples in other countries that could help shape
solutions here in Canada.

365
00:27:47,723 --> 00:27:50,974
So we've talked about the solutions that are available.

366
00:27:51,052 --> 00:28:00,886
But there's also a reality that often these mines are in remote areas and might not be
connected to the right infrastructure for clean energy and such.

367
00:28:00,886 --> 00:28:05,799
Do you want to share a little bit about what that currently looks like and then we'll get
into some solutions?

368
00:28:05,799 --> 00:28:13,232
yeah, the remote operations do present a new challenge, although Australia is a great
example of how to make that work.

369
00:28:13,232 --> 00:28:18,144
We're seeing incredible uptake of renewable solar, wind.

370
00:28:18,144 --> 00:28:23,764
battery storage, options, configurations at massive kind of scale.

371
00:28:24,064 --> 00:28:27,904
More than 60 to 100 megawatts is not out of the question.

372
00:28:28,544 --> 00:28:34,863
So, kind of really meeting almost 70 % of the site energy load in some cases.

373
00:28:34,984 --> 00:28:44,684
that really, it means that we can electrify material handling haul trucks or whatever way
you want to move your material, even in off-grid situations, which is great.

374
00:28:44,684 --> 00:28:47,724
And also a fairly low carbon,

375
00:28:48,032 --> 00:28:51,432
much lower carbon than traditional off-grid mining operations.

376
00:28:51,932 --> 00:28:55,172
Maybe it doesn't work as well in the Northern Canadian context.

377
00:28:55,172 --> 00:29:00,852
We've got some good examples of some wind turbines and some solar arrays in the North.

378
00:29:01,032 --> 00:29:06,972
But those have seasonal variable kind of, know, it's not like Australia where you get
really good solar radiation.

379
00:29:07,332 --> 00:29:11,072
the moderate temperature consistently throughout the year, et cetera, et cetera.

380
00:29:11,072 --> 00:29:11,872
Yeah, that was true.

381
00:29:11,872 --> 00:29:13,012
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

382
00:29:13,272 --> 00:29:16,606
So yeah, so we're definitely working on those things though, because I think it's...

383
00:29:16,606 --> 00:29:25,650
You know, it's still the other alternative for lowering the carbon emissions from mobile
equipment fleets or even just remote mining operations is renewable diesel or renewable

384
00:29:25,650 --> 00:29:26,500
fuels.

385
00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:31,462
And those are fairly limited in terms of their supply and even just transportation to the
north.

386
00:29:31,462 --> 00:29:37,405
you know, there's definitely a percentage of that that can go into those, but they're not
readily available today.

387
00:29:37,405 --> 00:29:45,448
Back in Canada, we're seeing a few different examples of how mining operations are
addressing charging infrastructure challenges.

388
00:29:45,488 --> 00:29:46,120
But

389
00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:54,787
Just like powering big trucks is a huge undertaking, so is managing large amounts of
on-site power safely and efficiently.

390
00:29:54,787 --> 00:30:04,415
So really the strategy is to build these micro communities and make sure that they kind of
have everything available on site, like a little circular energy system, if you will.

391
00:30:04,415 --> 00:30:05,376
That's right.

392
00:30:05,376 --> 00:30:05,646
Yeah.

393
00:30:05,646 --> 00:30:06,217
Yeah.

394
00:30:06,217 --> 00:30:15,038
And really thinking about all kinds of different options about load shedding, as well as
different technologies to generate power and store power.

395
00:30:15,038 --> 00:30:24,626
We've got examples in Canada's north, uh Nunavut, mining companies working with local
communities to sort of collectively determine how to make a microgrid that works both for

396
00:30:24,626 --> 00:30:26,818
the community and for the mining operation.

397
00:30:26,818 --> 00:30:28,788
So there's definitely examples there.

398
00:30:28,788 --> 00:30:39,478
I think with the lack of grid supply and transmission capacity, we're going to see mines
that are on grid that need more power for electrification starting to generate their own

399
00:30:39,478 --> 00:30:40,049
power.

400
00:30:40,049 --> 00:30:44,084
so becoming a kind of, I guess, power producers as well as

401
00:30:44,084 --> 00:30:52,910
power consumers and then sort of selling excess back to the grid and sort of like a
massive scale, basically home solar sort of setup.

402
00:30:52,910 --> 00:30:54,571
So that's an option too.

403
00:30:54,571 --> 00:30:56,593
And we're starting to see more interest in that.

404
00:30:56,593 --> 00:31:03,647
Currently, there's a lot of mining companies that actually run turbines or generators to
generate power or that additional power that they're going to need for those.

405
00:31:03,647 --> 00:31:13,256
But when you start looking at electrification, one of the other micro big challenges is
that at the sort of operational level is the power peaking.

406
00:31:13,256 --> 00:31:23,389
It's a massive problem that you really, it's hard to mitigate because you you've got all
these trucks driving around and they all need to be charged to different times and when

407
00:31:23,389 --> 00:31:32,061
they all need to be charged at the same time creates a massive strain on the grid, which
is both costly and also technically kind of sometimes not possible.

408
00:31:32,061 --> 00:31:41,194
So there will be a need for things like site energy storage to make up, you know, be able
to make up that surplus when it's needed for that short period of time.

409
00:31:41,194 --> 00:31:42,014
So.

410
00:31:42,034 --> 00:31:50,621
Energy storage, think, is a fairly critical component to that grid as well, that little
microgrid, but even like on-site generation and maybe figuring out how to do more

411
00:31:50,621 --> 00:32:00,870
automation so that we can start to charge these equipment, you know, during periods where
we're generating more renewable power and being able to and bidirectional charging is also

412
00:32:00,870 --> 00:32:01,641
really critical.

413
00:32:01,641 --> 00:32:07,326
So the trucks don't necessarily just charge, they also can discharge if the need is there
as well, right?

414
00:32:07,326 --> 00:32:09,348
So they can actually load manage the site.

415
00:32:09,348 --> 00:32:09,728
So

416
00:32:09,728 --> 00:32:12,609
We're adding a lot of complexity to a new mine site.

417
00:32:12,989 --> 00:32:23,353
If the future of mining and logging transportation is going to be fully electric, leaders
like Flynn and Eric are playing a significant role in getting us there.

418
00:32:23,434 --> 00:32:27,035
But real change will take more than a few pioneers.

419
00:32:27,075 --> 00:32:35,298
It will require collaboration across industry, government and innovators to accelerate
progress together.

420
00:32:35,419 --> 00:32:38,976
One of the fundamental hypotheses of uh

421
00:32:38,976 --> 00:32:46,856
the BC Netzer Innovation Network is that, you know, collaboration is a great way to pool
resources to solve bigger problems together, right?

422
00:32:46,856 --> 00:32:49,276
Because there is some trial and error.

423
00:32:49,276 --> 00:32:58,696
So how can OEMs, utilities and regulators work together to overcome some of the
infrastructure and cost barriers for an accelerated transition?

424
00:32:58,696 --> 00:33:00,336
Wow, that's a great question.

425
00:33:00,716 --> 00:33:03,336
And one I really do think that is necessary.

426
00:33:03,336 --> 00:33:05,736
I mean, you bring up regulations is a really interesting point.

427
00:33:05,876 --> 00:33:07,302
Some jurisdictions don't

428
00:33:07,302 --> 00:33:13,634
really change the regulations around underground mining ventilation, for example, when
it's an electric versus diesel.

429
00:33:13,634 --> 00:33:22,276
So they're considered equivalent, which obviously everybody knows that an electric vehicle
underground is going to be a lot less, you you're going to have a lot less need for

430
00:33:22,276 --> 00:33:23,547
ventilation from that.

431
00:33:23,547 --> 00:33:25,587
But the regulations are slow to change.

432
00:33:25,587 --> 00:33:34,442
So that's one where we could definitely work more hand in hand with the regulators to
determine can we change that to ensure that underground electric fleets.

433
00:33:34,442 --> 00:33:42,038
do get the benefit of not needing that much ventilation and therefore turning the
economics even more favorable towards the BEVs.

434
00:33:42,038 --> 00:33:47,882
As we've seen with the BCNET Zero Innovation Network, it's really helped unpack questions
that are to mean to everybody in the group.

435
00:33:47,882 --> 00:33:53,046
And there's no real competitive advantage and answering those questions collectively is a
lot more economical.

436
00:33:53,046 --> 00:34:01,160
And actually, you can probably get a lot better answers too when you put everybody's of
concerns in and analyze and do studies on the basis of that.

437
00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:04,202
I see that as really effective and has been for the last couple of years.

438
00:34:04,202 --> 00:34:05,883
We've been leading the group.

439
00:34:05,883 --> 00:34:09,566
It's been a lot of great input from the miners on here's what we need.

440
00:34:09,566 --> 00:34:12,037
Here's why we are struggling with it.

441
00:34:12,037 --> 00:34:14,269
Can you help us understand that collectively?

442
00:34:14,269 --> 00:34:16,751
And the answer is working with OEMs.

443
00:34:16,751 --> 00:34:20,623
I mean, the OEM side of things is pretty good.

444
00:34:20,623 --> 00:34:24,416
They're very secretive on the mine electrification OEM side.

445
00:34:24,416 --> 00:34:27,618
There's not as much openness as historically we've seen.

446
00:34:27,618 --> 00:34:30,484
So I'd like to see a bit more collaboration on that basis.

447
00:34:30,484 --> 00:34:35,027
Tesla ramped up infrastructure very quickly for charging their vehicles.

448
00:34:35,027 --> 00:34:37,329
They ended up selling a lot more vehicles.

449
00:34:37,329 --> 00:34:43,763
But then, of course, everyone's using a different hook, like the iPhone versus the
Samsung.

450
00:34:43,763 --> 00:34:46,435
It's like, how do you actually plug into this thing?

451
00:34:46,435 --> 00:34:48,977
So some standardization, right?

452
00:34:48,977 --> 00:34:51,018
And then you can share infrastructure.

453
00:34:51,018 --> 00:34:54,340
But you need the people at the table to have those discussions.

454
00:34:54,340 --> 00:34:56,041
And I agree a bit.

455
00:34:56,041 --> 00:35:00,456
Our philosophy around Canada's competitiveness in these sectors is,

456
00:35:00,456 --> 00:35:07,661
Let's work together and then export all these solutions globally as opposed to like, you
know, competing amongst ourselves.

457
00:35:07,721 --> 00:35:13,365
I do see, you know, the Australian mining cluster working really well together towards
electrification.

458
00:35:13,365 --> 00:35:21,610
think, you know, it's both OEMs, it's technology experts, it's mining companies sort of
pooling resources to say, let's like figure this out.

459
00:35:21,610 --> 00:35:30,078
What role does government or public funding play in helping, you know, mining companies
through this transitionary period?

460
00:35:30,078 --> 00:35:33,792
There's a saying in the industry, which is, you we're going to be fast followers.

461
00:35:33,792 --> 00:35:39,577
In order for that to happen, there needs to be a fairly good impetus for that first mover
to move.

462
00:35:39,577 --> 00:35:45,542
And they're not going to volunteer that if it doesn't have a very significant cost benefit
to them.

463
00:35:45,542 --> 00:35:49,886
There's a need for that stimulus to start that process and get that ball rolling.

464
00:35:49,886 --> 00:35:53,750
Even a need to stimulate the conversation to get the group to start working together on
it.

465
00:35:53,750 --> 00:35:56,274
I'd say that the reason Canada has been

466
00:35:56,274 --> 00:36:05,300
As progressive as it has been with a lot of technology development and trials and
different mining operations across Canada is because there's healthy incentives there to

467
00:36:05,300 --> 00:36:06,871
de-risk those projects.

468
00:36:06,871 --> 00:36:12,694
The first trial I was involved with in electric vehicles underground and mining operation
was in 2011.

469
00:36:12,694 --> 00:36:17,117
And that was uh sponsored and funded by various government agencies.

470
00:36:17,117 --> 00:36:18,788
Was that here or Sudbury?

471
00:36:18,788 --> 00:36:22,014
In Ontario, actually in Red Lake, Ontario.

472
00:36:22,014 --> 00:36:22,755
The operators loved it.

473
00:36:22,755 --> 00:36:23,786
thought, wow, this is great.

474
00:36:23,786 --> 00:36:28,170
I don't have to sit in a diesel exhaust envelope on my way up the ramp.

475
00:36:28,170 --> 00:36:30,853
And it's quiet and it's not as hot.

476
00:36:30,853 --> 00:36:32,594
So there was a lot of benefits to it.

477
00:36:32,594 --> 00:36:36,538
And it was a very significant no-brainer when we started doing that.

478
00:36:36,538 --> 00:36:37,389
Yeah.

479
00:36:37,389 --> 00:36:41,743
think, you know, I really like that you've leaned in on that first mover piece, right?

480
00:36:41,743 --> 00:36:43,024
You know, lead or follow.

481
00:36:43,024 --> 00:36:47,282
So let's lean in and also make sure that there's that.

482
00:36:47,282 --> 00:36:59,806
supporting infrastructure and narrative for the Canadian companies supplying solutions for
this pathway, that they can tell those stories and help them drive their own growth and

483
00:36:59,806 --> 00:37:05,477
export development as well when it comes to innovation and new products and services.

484
00:37:05,618 --> 00:37:14,140
There's still work to do when it comes to scaling the technology, but Eric and the team at
Edison Motors are charging forward.

485
00:37:14,216 --> 00:37:23,144
And thanks to Canada's support of clean tech ecosystem, they've had the backing to turn
bold ideas into real progress on the road.

486
00:37:23,505 --> 00:37:34,636
your experience with your program and work so far, how can OEMs, utilities and regulators
work together to better support innovators like you?

487
00:37:34,636 --> 00:37:39,296
The industry has a long way to go and I hope that we can kind of be a good kick in the
butt.

488
00:37:39,296 --> 00:37:44,616
because ultimately the platform we're building was built by a bunch of kids in a backyard
in BC.

489
00:37:44,616 --> 00:37:48,496
So I hope that we can really be a way to turbocharge the industry.

490
00:37:48,496 --> 00:37:59,696
And it turns to regulation, I think that the platform we're developing is very drop-in in
terms of being able to still pay for road taxes via the purchase of fuels.

491
00:37:59,696 --> 00:38:05,396
I think that we're going to be really well embraced by industry partners in that regard,
and especially government.

492
00:38:05,396 --> 00:38:07,902
And I got to say, it's great to be a Canadian because

493
00:38:07,902 --> 00:38:13,887
The pathways to actually getting our vehicle on-road certified and legal has been actually
really great.

494
00:38:13,887 --> 00:38:15,839
We've had phenomenal support there.

495
00:38:15,839 --> 00:38:21,743
So great partners all around from Ottawa and BC helping us to commercialize this product
for the masses.

496
00:38:21,924 --> 00:38:33,483
I do think, you know, traditional sectors, people who are a little too comfortable doing
things the way they've been doing them for 100 years, need folks like you to give them a

497
00:38:33,483 --> 00:38:37,020
bit of a poke, little elbow in the ribs, a little, you know.

498
00:38:37,020 --> 00:38:43,860
if you will, to get them to move forward and think about the role innovation and new
technology can play to serve the sector.

499
00:38:43,860 --> 00:38:45,686
Well, that's ultimately what innovators do.

500
00:38:45,686 --> 00:38:46,947
They disrupt.

501
00:38:47,427 --> 00:38:51,370
you know, that's what Edison's doing from day one is we're building a compelling product.

502
00:38:51,370 --> 00:38:57,274
It's our dream truck, which is fantastic because we get so much experience already
operating a fleet of trucks.

503
00:38:57,274 --> 00:38:58,375
We know how to fix them.

504
00:38:58,375 --> 00:39:01,797
We know what parts we want to use because we trust them.

505
00:39:01,837 --> 00:39:05,906
And what's great is our approach has been quite interesting.

506
00:39:05,906 --> 00:39:16,622
Instead of having an army of engineers and a boatload of money to spend on custom parts,
uh our pathway has been a kind of force to use off the shelf parts to really reduce the

507
00:39:16,622 --> 00:39:17,463
cost.

508
00:39:17,463 --> 00:39:22,526
But therefore our customers get to enjoy these parts too and have easy access to them.

509
00:39:22,526 --> 00:39:27,809
We're in Merritt, BC, we're not close to any major part distribution hub.

510
00:39:27,809 --> 00:39:33,231
So for us to pull this off means that we're only going to have a more supportive end user.

511
00:39:34,270 --> 00:39:36,871
Yeah, we're just so excited by what we've been able to accomplish so far.

512
00:39:36,871 --> 00:39:42,764
Yeah, a more robust supply chain, which is more important than ever given these economic
times.

513
00:39:42,764 --> 00:39:44,044
Absolutely.

514
00:39:44,184 --> 00:39:53,838
Thank you to Flynn McCarthy, our Mining Industry Advisor with the BC Net Zero Innovation
Network, and Eric Little from Edison Motors for joining us today, sharing their visions

515
00:39:53,838 --> 00:39:58,650
and most importantly, for their commitment to cleaning up Canada's heavy hauling sectors.

516
00:39:58,650 --> 00:40:02,342
As an entrepreneur, I am so inspired by Eric's story.

517
00:40:02,342 --> 00:40:02,994
I mean...

518
00:40:02,994 --> 00:40:13,092
It's obvious what it takes is innovators to be bold and ambitious, to push traditional
sectors and people that are a little too comfortable making our vehicles the way they are

519
00:40:13,092 --> 00:40:14,714
to do things differently.

520
00:40:14,714 --> 00:40:22,079
These innovators are challenging the status quo and they're the ones that are going to get
us from point A to Z, which is net zero.

521
00:40:22,540 --> 00:40:31,888
If I were to leave our listeners with a final aha moment for this episode, especially if
you're someone with influence, funding or passion to advance clean transportation, it's

522
00:40:31,888 --> 00:40:32,708
this.

523
00:40:33,300 --> 00:40:41,105
When major companies become more open to solutions for decarbonization, we must take
advantage of the opportunity and act.

524
00:40:41,326 --> 00:40:51,733
By connecting innovators and bold thinkers with industry experts and decision makers, both
at home and around the world, we accelerate meaningful progress towards a net zero

525
00:40:51,733 --> 00:40:52,754
economy.

526
00:40:52,754 --> 00:41:02,130
When people roll up their sleeves, lead by example, and dig into real solutions, they
create the momentum that inspires change, and we all win.

527
00:41:06,248 --> 00:41:13,374
On the next episode of Clean Tech Forward, why aren't proven alternative fuels like
hydrogen being adopted on a broader scale?

528
00:41:13,374 --> 00:41:22,902
We'll unpack the myths, explore the barriers, and look at what's really holding back
broader adoption of clean fuel solutions that could reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

529
00:41:22,902 --> 00:41:25,644
Add us to your playlist so you don't miss it.

530
00:41:26,725 --> 00:41:32,330
Clean Tech Forward is fueled by Foresight Canada's BC Net Zero Innovation Network.

531
00:41:32,330 --> 00:41:35,326
Powered by Pacific Economic Development Canada.

532
00:41:35,326 --> 00:41:37,599
and the Government of British Columbia.

533
00:41:37,620 --> 00:41:46,172
Learn more about how BC is driving the future of clean transportation at foresight cac.com
slash British Columbia.

534
00:42:00,768 --> 00:42:01,972
you

535
00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:12,424
Clean Tech Forward is an everything podcasts production hosted by Jeanette Jackson and
narrated by me, Tamara Stanners.

536
00:42:12,424 --> 00:42:15,425
Show runner and writer, Jessica Grechik.

537
00:42:15,425 --> 00:42:18,167
Sound engineer, Jordan Wong.

538
00:42:18,167 --> 00:42:21,328
Executive producer, Jennifer Smith.

539
00:42:25,556 --> 00:42:28,389
Another Everything Podcast production.

540
00:42:29,918 --> 00:42:34,524
Visit everythingpodcast.com, a division of Patterson Media.

541
00:42:34,524 --> 00:42:37,170
Subscribe wherever you get your podcast.