Zero-emission electric truck plant opens in Kelowna, B.C.

Industries around the world are looking for cleaner options in order to reduce their emissions and a new facility is hoping to provide exactly that.

Wednesday was an electrifying day for the staff of Hexagon Purus with the opening of their facility in Kelowna, B.C.

Employees from around the world, elected officials and more were invited to tour the new plant.

“For me personally, it’s over 20 years in the making to get to this point with the factory in Kelowna, so very exciting. This is one of five factories that we’re opening around the globe this year,” said Hexagon Purus EVP Todd Sloan.

2:10 Vernon considering requiring new homes to be built ‘solar ready’

Hexagon Purus serves customers across the globe and works directly with companies like Toyota, Panasonic and Samsung. One of the new features of the zero-emissions plant will be an assembly line to build electric battery systems.

“We also do all the engineering work to design systems so we can build complete battery electric commercial trucks. We also have engineering here for building hydrogen fuel cell versions of the same trucks,” said Sloan.

With more clean energy options becoming available across the world, Kelowna is taking steps to be a part of that process. One of city council’s priorities is to look at things from a climate standpoint and Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas says this facility does exactly that.

“We’re seeing more and more of that and technology like that and this company coming to town will lead the path that way because it is an industry which is creating good jobs. It is a clean industry and it is an industry that is in demand,” Dyas said.

The CEO of Hexagon Purus, Mortum Holum says in recent years the company has been growing quickly, as more people look for solutions to help the climate crisis.

Holum hopes Hexagon will be able to slowly make a difference in that area.

“The energy transition and moving the world away from fossil fuels and things that create carbon emissions and towards the more renewable energy society. This is two, three decades at least before we make a meaningful dent in that,” said Holum.

The new Kelowna plant will employ around 150 people.