So, you want to decarbonize your production and save hundreds of dollars from your fuel budget? Electric vehicles are a great start!

Think about who on your crew uses the most gas – runners, buyers, cast drivers – by renting them an electric car you might pay a small premium, but at $2/litre, that’s a lot of fuel money you’re not spending. And in these times of climate chaos, pulling up to set in a Tesla is so much cooler than showing up in a big gas-guzzling SUV. Many of the Lower Mainland’s studios are already equipped with EV chargers on their lots, with plans to add more.

And it’s not just cars that are electric now – there are e-Cargo Transit vans, Ford Lightning electric pickup trucks and 5-ton Lion Class 6 trucks out there, waiting to be filled with film gear!

DGC BC Members Gilles Laplante and Richard Greenhalgh recognized the urgent need for film fleets to go electric, and founded Whiskey Jack Transport to do just that. They have 3 of the Lion 5-tons for rent, plus a towable mobile-charging trailer they call the “Firefly” that can recharge up to 3 vehicles at a time. The trucks can cover 200-300kms on one charge, more than enough for your average unit move, and have been successfully driven to locations like Kelowna, using the public charging grid.

The local branches of Driving Force (Burnaby & Langley) are also eager to bring electric transport to set. They have Teslas, Ford Lightnings, Transit e-Cargos and the Lion 5-tons for rent as well, plus a range of hybrids that include ½ ton trucks, and more stock coming in the new year.

It’s all out there for the renting, we just need to change our collective fossilized mindsets and switch to clean energy solutions on the road to a more sustainable industry.

Change is happening – it’s electrifying!

Annabelle Wilczur
Assistant Business Agent

Tell me what your show is doing to be more sustainable! Do you have a green tip or success story you'd like us to share in a future Ebulletin? Send me an email at awilczur@dgcbc.com.

For more ideas on ways to effect change, check out DGC National’s DGC Green site as well as Creative BC’s Reel Green website for new industry initiatives, green vendors, events and courses you can take.