R R Plett Trucking is a second-generation family business providing local and long-haul container transportation through the Port of Vancouver. Since 2024, they have integrated the eight electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks into its fleet, along with a set of EV chargers. The substantial capital investment is paying off—each of the six electric semi-trailer trucks saves the company $80,000 annually over their diesel counterparts. Reducing emissions has gained them competitive advantage with large clients looking for suppliers who are pursuing a lower carbon footprint.

1. By accessing incentives and subsidies

COO Trevor Plett first became interested in fleet electrification in 2017 when he saw the launch of the Tesla Semi and immediately placed a deposit for 10. The Tesla trucks have yet to be produced, but it meant he was watching closely in 2023 when Plug In BC announced that grants were available to cover installation of commercial electric chargers.

Plett’s application was successful for two Level 3 chargers, with a rebate of $80,000 towards each $150,000 charger. Fortunately, their Langley yard already had enough electrical capacity. This best-case scenario meant they did not need to carry out any costly or time-consuming upgrade work and further improved the business case for electrification.

Just a month later, Plett heard about Volvo’s VNR electric truck, which was available for local testing and had specifications that matched the company’s local drayage routes. The first two VNR electric trucks joined the fleet in June 2024 and a further four in 2025. The cost of each $615,000 truck was subsidized by $300,000 incentives under Government of Canada’s iMHZEV Program and the CleanBC Go Electric program.

Plett also identified that the company’s heavy duty repair crew could use a battery electric vehicle (BEV) to transport equipment to local roadside breakdowns and maintenance jobs at other businesses.

In 2025, two Rizon E18L Class 4 BEVs were purchased for this purpose, receiving an additional $150,000 subsidy per $223,500 truck. A further two chargers were installed, again receiving a Plug In BC rebate for $80,000 per charger.

To date, R R Plett Trucking has been able to access more than $2 million in BC and Canadian incentives for the eight ZEVs and four fast chargers. These incentives covered around half the total capital cost of each vehicle, creating a payback period of three to four years. Without them, Plett says they probably would not have pursued the first truck, although the electric fleet is now proving its worth to the company.

Find out about current incentives available for fleet electrification in the Fleet Forward Resource Guide.

“A clear business case”

R R Plett Trucking has recorded $80,000 annual savings per drayage truck and $10,000 per Rizon truck compared to their diesel counterparts and expects to see a three-to-four-year ROI on the capital investment.

“This is driven by a combination of reduced fuel costs, lower maintenance expenses, and the monetization of carbon credits generated through emissions reductions,” says Plett.

“Electrification has worked well for us, thanks to the low cost of electricity in BC and the heavy power infrastructure already available at our yard. We are still early on but so far there's a clear business case for it.”

“Market advantage”

COO Trevor Plett says switching to zero emissions is no longer about doing the right thing or saving money – it is necessary to remain competitive.

“A lot of the multi-national companies want to work with carriers that are thinking about emissions-free solutions.