The first fully-electric vehicle in the Town of Dalmeny’s fleet won’t be turning any heads on Main Street.
Flashy and fast, it’s not.
But, it does handle really well on ice.
And it’ll save ratepayers an estimated $5,000 a year in fuel and maintenance costs.
The town ordered a new electric Zamboni in October, 2022 to replace its aging 2007-model propane-powered machine manufactured by the same company. It was delivered in August, 2023 and is ready to roll as soon as the Dalmeny Arena opens for the season on October 9.
“It’s not the first electric ice resurfacer in Saskatchewan, but it is the first Zamboni brand machine,” said Dalmeny Recreation Manager Mat Halcro. “It looks exactly like the old one, with all the same controls, but there is no engine, no radiator and no propane hookup. It’s powered by an electric motor, so it’s very quiet, and there are zero tailpipe emissions.”
He added the new machine doesn’t need oil changes or similar routine maintenance normally needed on conventional vehicles.
Halcro said the town had set aside funds for a new ice resurfacer in its capital budget last year, and town council made the decision to purchase an electric vehicle. He noted it had to be ordered a year in advance. The manufacturer only builds machines to fill individual customer orders; they don’t have any in stock.”
“They’re not cheap, by any means,” he said. “But, the life span of the lithium ion battery is significantly longer than a regular lead acid battery, so in the long term I think it will be a very good investment.
“The key is to ensure that the battery is always kept fully charged,” he added. “If it’s not being driven then you need to have it plugged in so it keeps the battery at 100 per cent or just a little below that.”
The Zamboni has the capacity to run for 45 minutes non-stop on a full charge, but Halcro notes the machine normally finishes flooding the ice in about 10 minutes.
“After that short stint, it’s plugged back in right away, so it’s virtually always fully charged,” he said.
The lithium ion battery charger unit is housed in a separate mechanical room next to the working area where the Zamboni is stored, with connections passing through the wall.
“The charger is in this room to ensure it stays dry,” said Halcro. “There can be quite a lot of water collecting in the area where the Zamboni goes in and out of the rink, and we were concerned about moisture potentially getting into the charger.”
He said the charger is designed not only to give a “fast charge” but also monitors the battery level to ensure it does not over-charge.
“Once the battery is fully charged up, the charger goes into sleep mode, and just keeps it topped up,” he said.
Halcro said the town’s propane-powered Zamboni is currently in storage and will be used as a backup unit.
The town’s recreation staff turned the ice plant in the community arena on September 27, and will be making ice over the next week to ten days. There are also some new puck boards to install in places. The facility is slated to open for the season on Monday, October 9.
“This building really is the heart of the community, especially at this time of year,” said Halcro. “We’re booked solid through the winter, not just with Dalmeny Minor Hockey and other local groups, but renting out ice time to Martensville, Warman, Saskatoon and other communities.”