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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The preponderance of gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs on Yellowknife's roads belies the image of a city that was thrice named the most sustainable small city in the country by Corporate Knights magazine.

In 2007, Jordan James-McQueen, owner of a brand new Toyota Yaris, accepted a $1,000 cheque from Energy Efficiency Incentive Program co-ordinator Dean Green. The NWT no longer has any incentives to encourage residents to buy hybrid vehicles. - NNSL file photo

According to a 2011 report by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, the transportation sector is responsible for 30 per cent of territorial greenhouse gas emissions, with gasoline contributing nine per cent.

Yellowknifers also consistently pay some of the highest fuel prices in the country. So where are all the hybrids?

Jayson Weber, finance manager at Kingland Ford, said the dealership sold four or five hybrids in 2010 but hasn't sold any since. They have no hybrid vehicles in stock, apart from one available to rent through Budget Rent-A-Car, said Weber.

Many Yellowknifers enjoy the outdoorsy lifestyle afforded by living in the midst of a remote wilderness and buy vehicles reliable enough to last through long, cold winters and tough enough to traverse the rugged landscape.

Though many conceive of hybrid vehicles as being small sedans like the Toyota Prius, hybrids now run the gamut from cars to SUVs to pickup trucks, like the Chevrolet Silverado hybrid pickup truck, yet none seem to have caught on in Yellowknife.

Barry Walsh, a salesman at Autotec, said the dealership keeps a limited stock of Toyota hybrids.

Like many other environmentally friendly technologies, hybrid cars cost more at the outset - about $5,000 to $6,000 on average - but manufacturers claim the buyer will see a return on investment in the form of fuel savings.

The current technology is more effective for stop-and-go city driving than for highway driving but Walsh said the market north of 60 is unique.

"I truly think that (hybrids) will be the way of the future. But truly consumerism here - driving and fuel prices are not an issue here. That's why you see such large SUVs here. Because we drive 100 kilometres a week versus a standard Canadian consumer that drives 100 kilometres a day," he said.

Both mild hybrids and full hybrids are currently available in Canada.

According to Jaime Grimes of autotrader.com, "A mild hybrid has an oversized starter motor that turns off the engine when the car is coasting, braking or stopped, then restarts the motor quickly and seamlessly. A full hybrid has an electric motor and a rechargeable battery, which can work independently or in conjunction with each other."

Plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) will soon be available as well. According to Transport Canada, "Some PHEVs can run on just electricity for up to 40 kilometres or more -- enough to virtually eliminate the use of gas or diesel for many daily commuters. When the electricity runs out, the gasoline engine is always there as a backup, so PHEVs can also be used for long-distance trips."

Even if the technology becomes more efficient, the market for hybrid cars in the NWT may still lag behind other cities.

"I think people are just set in their ways and they're a little bit scared of the new technology," said Weber.

Walsh said the hybrid technology probably hasn't been truly cold weather tested and outside of Yellowknife, few, if any, mechanics are trained to deal with the new technology.

"If something's to happen to a hybrid vehicle in Lutsel K'e, there's no one there that's going to be able to understand that technology," said Walsh. "And no offence to the community but I mean it takes a lot of training ... and it is expensive and you do have to be on the ball."

But Earl Blacklock, communications manager for the GNWT's Department of Transportation, said a half-ton Chevy hybrid pickup purchased by the department in 2006 as a pilot project has been performing well. A report on the department's website was mostly positive.

"Starting in cold temperatures is not an issue. Fuel economy is improved in urban stop-and-go conditions at 14.3L/100 km. Highway fuel consumption is 11.3L/100 km. However, the evidence to this point indicates that for highway use, the fuel savings from using the hybrid may not be sufficient to offset the extra cost of the vehicle."

Blacklock said he would recommend a hybrid car to consumers as a good, environmentally friendly alternative and, although the department would consider purchasing another hybrid for fleet use, "obviously we're spending taxpayers' dollars. We want to balance out the advantages with the higher cost and see what the best decision is."

The federal government's EcoAUTO rebate program lapsed in 2009, after issuing more than 169,800 rebates for qualifying hybrid cars, totaling $191.2 million. The GNWT, which had previously administered rebates through its Energy Efficiency Incentive Program, did not continue to do so. Some insurance companies offer incentives to hybrid car owners, however. In certain parts of Canada, Meloche-Monnex, a company affiliated with TD, offers a 10 per cent discount on insurance premiums to drivers of hybrid or electric vehicles recognized by the Vehicle Information Centre of Canada. Samson Yuen of TD Bank Group's corporate and public affairs division, said the Green Wheel discount is available in the NWT.

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