Electric City via Electricity - The City of Mississauga's Growing Fleet of Electric Vehicles

All images via the City of Mississauga.

Navigating the ever-changing world of electric vehicles has seen some lane changes and bends in the road over recent years.
There’s a debate between them being the “way of the future” to a “maybe later but not now” to “they’ll never last.” For now, they’re here and increasing in popularity, with many Canadian automotive brands showing strong increases in sales figures over the past two years.
That said, things have significantly changed in 2025. There’s no more Federal rebate for electric vehicles. British Columbia and Quebec have announced the end of their respective programs, which is significant as they were leaders in electric vehicle rebates and as such, had a high adoption rate.
Here in Ontario, we haven’t had a rebate since 2018.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom.

The City of Mississauga has moved forward in electrifying their corporate fleets across the city itself, MiWay and Mississauga Fire & Emergency Services.
We even have electric Zambonis!
As someone who’s reviewed thousands of cars via Modern Motoring, including a plethora of electric vehicles, I can see the benefits, primarily being low operating and maintenance costs. City owned electric vehicles also benefit from dedicated charging stations, unlike the general public, so that eliminates the largest non-financial hurdle with electric vehicles.
They’re here and there are more on the way in the coming years, so with that, let’s see what they currently have.
(All figures below provided by the City of Mississauga.)

For reference throughout this article:
EV = Electric Vehicle
PHEV = Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle
ICE - Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle

How Many EV/Hybrid Vehicles are on the City of Mississauga’s Corporate Fleet?
As of early May 2025, there are 30.

What are the makes and models?
Here’s a handy chart!

Why were these specific vehicles chosen over others?
All vehicles listed have a specific purpose and design based on the working group they are being outfitted for.  Vehicle specifications for capacity, weight, and purpose are developed, and a competitive tender is issued, allowing all manufacturers that meet the specifications to submit bids. The unit that meets all requirements and offers the lowest price is awarded the contract.

How many ICE vehicles are on the fleet?
There are roughly 700 ICE vehicles remaining in the corporate fleet as of early May, 2025.

Does the City of Mississauga have any EV Zambonis?
Yep! They’ve got 15 active electric ice re-surfacers.
You can learn all about them here.
The missed opportunity is not calling them Zambon-EVs.

Let’s change gears from the City of Mississauga’s corporate fleet to MiWay’s fleet of EV support vehicles.
As you travel throughout Mississauga, you may have seen new Volkswagen ID.4 EV’s on our streets, which I’ll dig into below.

How many ICE vs EV's are on the MiWay support fleet?
MiWay has 41 EV and 27 Non- EV, including supporting trucks.

What types and brands of EV’s are on the MiWay fleet?

2023 Nissan Aryia - 3
2018 Nissan Leaf - 7
2023 Nissan Leaf - 10
2023 Hyundai Kona - 2

Why are there so many different brands of EV’s on the MiWay fleet?
As per the City’s Procurement by-laws, a tender goes out to market with defined specifications. The bid which meets the specifications and is the lowest bid is awarded the contract. Based on when the tender goes out and market values at the time, we do not always obtain the same vehicles each time we go to market. This enables a competitive bid and best value for tax dollars. MiWay has 41 non-revenue EV vehicles

Types of vehicles on the MiWay support fleet

There are new Volkswagen ID.4 EVs on the MiWay fleet; what are the details on these new additions?

There are nine of these on the MiWay fleet, which came as a result of a bidding process. The criteria was it had to be a crossover/small SUV, long battery range, decent trunk/cargo capacity and a power driver’s seat. And of course, be competitively priced.
The ID.4’s were sourced from a local Volkswagen dealership and were purchased outright, opposed to being leased or financed.

There are also 12 Chevrolet Bolt EV/EUV’s that are currently on the MiWay fleet, with the oldest being a 2020 model. These will stay on the fleet for another few years, being estimated to be removed from service between 2028 and 2030.
It’s dependant on usage and viability in relation to the newer crop of EV’s that will likely provide increased efficiency and longer range.

Let’s move to Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services (MFES) and look at their implementation of EV’s.

Are there any EV’s on the Mississauga Fire & Emergency Services fleet? 

Yes. As MFES is committed to supporting the City of Mississauga’s Climate Change Action Plan and advancing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Every fleet purchase is evaluated through the lens of the City’s Green Fleet and Equipment Policy, which prioritizes zero-emissions vehicles and equipment when market availability exists, when operational requirements are met or exceeded, and when it is fiscally responsible to do so.
Here’s the breakdown:

On the Fire Prevention and Risk Reduction side, there are:

Three 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV’s, which will be arriving this year.
Two 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug in Hybrid vehicles
Two 2023 Ford Escape Hybrid crossovers

On the training and technology side, there are:

One 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning
One – 2023 Ford F-150 Hybrid  

Capital assets see two Ford Transit T350 EV’s

Administration vehicles utilize five Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV’s.

Finally, the operations side uses a 2024 Pierce Volterra Battery Electric Pumper

How many ICE vehicles are on the fleet? 

Currently, there are 67 ICE vehicles in the fleet and a total of17 vehicles that are either EV, PHEV or hybrid.

Why were these specific vehicles chosen over others? 
Vehicle specifications for capacity, weight, and purpose are developed, and a competitive tender is issued, allowing all manufacturers that meet the specifications to submit bids. The unit that meets all requirements and offers the lowest price is awarded the contract.

Are electric vehicles the future of the automotive industry?
Not exclusively.
Almost every manufacturer has back peddled from their ambitious EV sales goals, citing rising costs and decreased demand. There’s nothing wrong with recalibrating your plan and reacting to the market.
However, there is a place for them on corporate fleets as part of the mix and so far, the City of Mississauga has done well in intertwining them.
They’re able to provide the same functionality and utilitarianism as ICE vehicles and with short daily distances driven, they’re also practical.
We won’t reach 100% EV adoption on our roads for at least 50-ish years but dismissing them today is short-sighted.