Portland’s plans for a zero-emission delivery zone sound like a breath of fresh air
You will soon be able to catch a breath of fresh air in downtown Portland. The city is planning to establish a zero-emission delivery zone to promote a safe and cleaner way of moving goods in the area. The project will be the first in the nation of its kind.
Oregon’s largest city, Portland, is home to over 650,000 people (with over 2.5 million in the metro area).
With plentiful parks, bike paths, and hiking trails, Portland is perhaps best known for its eco-friendliness and sustainable mindset. In 2020, the Portland City Council declared a climate emergency, setting a new goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
With transportation accounting for 40% of carbon emissions in the Portland area, city officials new something had to be done.
To advance its goal, Portland has announced it will test a new zero-emission delivery zone, becoming the first in the US to implement a project of sorts. Although trucks represent less than 5% of the city’s vehicle fleet, they generate 24% of all transportation related carbon emissions.
The proposed project spans 25 acres of downtown Portland where city and federal office buildings, county courthouse, commercial offices, and parks are present.
Portland reveals nations first zero-emission delivery zone
This spring, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) was awarded almost $2 million from the US Department of Transportation to fund the zero-emission delivery zone. With the new funding, PBOT will change some truck-loading zones to zero-emission vehicles only.
No passenger vehicles will be impacted by the changes. According to Portland-based KGW News, officials said part of the project’s plans is to:
Reduce traffic from heavy trucks in the downtown area and replace those trips with zero-emission vehicles, such as electric vans and trucks, cargo bikes, or hydrogen fueled vehicles.
In addition, Portland’s downtown area has been identified as one of the areas with the highest concentration of collisions involving trucks (2,2267 collisions betwen 2014 and 2018) according to the 2040 Portland Freight report. The move will cut down the number of trucks allowed in the area.
Dylan Rivera, a spokesperson from PBOT said, “No one has done this, this way, in the US.” Although the final details are still being ironed out, Rivera said those who violate the new rules will be subject to a parking citation.
PBOT says it will incentivize the movement of “clean goods” through using an existing hub where big delivery trucks can transfer goods to smaller zero-emission vehicles, such as local fleets of EVs of electric bikes, for deliveries in the zone.
The project will kick off phase one this summer, running for 18 months through funded the SMART program, established under the Inflation Reduction Act. PBOT says it may then apply for phase two to build on its success.
Electrek’s Take
Like many US cities, deliveries in the city of Portland are skyrocketing due to the rise in home delivery and e-commerce. This means more frequent and shorter trips, often idling in between. Furthermore, these packages are also almost always delivered by big vans or trucks.
According to research from the World Economic Forum, by 2030, the number of delivery vehicles on the road in the top 100 global cities will rise by 36%. More importantly, the average diesel delivery truck emits 18.7 tons of CO2 each year with frequent stops making it worse on communities.
A zero-emission delivery zone, such as the one Portland will test this summer, will begin to reduce emissions that lead to health conditions like cardiovascular damage, asthma, and more in cities.
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With 615 horsepower, the Cadillac Lyriq-V is the quickest Caddie to date. Cadillac’s first V-Series EV will outsprint a CT5-V Blackwing, and it can be yours for under $80,000.
The 2026 Lyriq-V EV is the fastest Cadillac ever
We knew it was coming soon. Cadillac teased the Lyriq-V for the first time in late October, giving a sneak peek at its first electric V-Series vehicle.
Cadillac’s performance brand is known for iconic sports cars like the CT5-V Blackwing, but the new EV pushes the “V-Series sub-brand to new heights,” boasted John Roth, vice president of Global Cadillac.
As the first EV to wear the V-Series badge, Cadillac promised the Lyriq-V would be powerful, but we didn’t know it would be this fast.
Cadillac officially introduced the 2026 Lyriq-V on Thursday, revealing additional specs, prices, and more. With an estimated 615 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque and a standard dual motor AWD powertrain, the EV is expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, making it the quickest Cadillac to date.
At that speed, it would outrun the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing with a 0 to 60 mph sprint time in 3.4 seconds. Although the CT-5 packs slightly more horsepower (668 hp), the Lyriq-V’s EV powertrain unlocks more powerful, instant acceleration.
The added power is enabled by an added Velocity Max feature, which “unleashes the vehicle’s full performance capability” with a surge of power and acceleration.
Interior and exterior design, prices, and features
The V-Series model differs from the traditional Lyriq with a lower center of gravity and custom front and rear bumpers. It also features V-Series badging on the rear doors and tailgate, V-pattern mesh on the lower grille, and 22″ wheels with the logo etched into the side.
Inside, the performance EV borrows features from the Lyriq, such as a panoramic fixed glass roof, a 23-speaker AKG sound system, and a massive 33″ LED display screen.
Cadillac distinguishes the V-Series from the traditional Lyriq by adding the V-Series logo, a V-mode button, and a sports rim with hand grips. Other unique features include a custom infotainment experience with a “V-Series persona,” a signature V-Series illuminated sill plate and V-pattern detailing on the seatbacks.
A 102 kWh battery pack is expected to provide a range of up to 285 miles. The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V starts at $79,990, including the destination fee.
In comparison, the Tesla Model Y Performance starts at $51,490 and has an EPA-estimated range of up to 277 miles. It also includes AWD and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
Cadillac’s new performance EV will be sold in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Other markets will be announced closer to launch. GM will begin producing the new Lyriq-V at its Spring Hill, TN, manufacturing plant in early 2025.
What do you think of the Cadillac’s new performance EV? Would you buy one for $80,000? Or are you sticking with the Model Y Performance? Drop us a comment below to let us know.
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Tesla has announced some important price hikes across its entire lineup in Canada amid incentives going away and a struggling Canadian dollar.
The Canadian EV market is already having problems amid announcements that the federal incentive program will be eliminated. The same thing is happening to Quebec’s own program, which was the most generous in the country—making the province the leader in EV adoption in Canada.
Now, Tesla, which sells more EVs than anyone in Canada, announced that it is increasing prices on all its lineup.
Here are the price increases for each Tesla model:
- Model 3:
- Long Range RWD: $4,000
- Long Range AWD: $8,000
- Performance: $9,000
- Model Y: $4,000
- Model S: $4,000
- Model X: $4,000
Buyers can still get $1,300 CAD off of new Model Y, Model S, or Model X purchases with a referral code.
Tesla never comments on price changes and therefore, we don’t know the official reasons for these specific price increases, but we can make some educated guesses.
First off, the Canadian dollar has crashed in comparison to USD over the last few months:
Furthermore, the timing of announcing that the price increases will take place on February 1st has led some to link this to the upcoming tariff wars that President Trump signaled against Canada.
The US President said that he plans to impose 25% tariffs on any goods coming from Canada, and Canada said that it would retaliate.
Electrek’s Take
Obviously, this is not good for the EV market in Canada.
The removal of incentives is already hurting the market, and now the base price of the most popular EVs in the country, Tesla vehicles, is also going up before incentives.
This will be a bad year for EVs in Canada.
Hopefully, things will settle down and we will get more clarity once the tariff war actually starts.
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