Jaguar Classic to offer electric E-types
Study provides more insight into air pollution mechanisms that cause cardiovascular diseases

Launch of BC Hydro’s 7 EV fast-chargers on Vancouver Island

BC Hydro has launched seven electric vehicle fast-chargers on Vancouver Island. They will allow electric vehicle drivers to travel between Ucluelet, Campbell River and Sidney without range anxiety.

The seven locations are now open to the public:

  • Nanaimo Superstore – Nanaimo
  • Qualicum Foods – Qualicum
  • No Frills Foods – Port Alberni
  • Pacific Rim Visitor Centre – Ucluelet
  • Courtenay Superstore – Courtenay
  • Campbell River Community Centre – Campbell River
  • Sidney Municipal Lot – Sidney

These electric vehicle fast-chargers are part of Natural Resources Canada’s $1.05-million investment to BC Hydro for a total of 21 stations through the first phase of the Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative to help expand the province’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The funding builds on the Government’s $182.5-million total investment to grow Canada’s electric and alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure so that using electric and alternative fuel vehicles is easier and more convenient for Canadians.

Comments

Engineer-Poet

I'd never really looked at Vancouver Island before.  It's huge; 495 km from Port Hardy to Victoria.  These fast chargers are definitely warranted.

HarveyD

Vancouver Island, BC and Canada are huge and will require 100,000+ charging stations to sustain PHEVs/BEVs/FCEVs operation.

Current E-energy suppliers will have to join hands with Federal/Provincial/Municipal authorities to get the job done ASAP.

Engineer-Poet

I'm sure Canada already has millions of potential charging stations.  Any accessible NEMA outlet can be one.  Level 2 charging requires a bit more but not much; any electric dryer circuit can be repurposed in a jiffy, or just throw in a new breaker if there's space in the breaker box.

Fast-charging stations are a different matter, and are seldom required except on long-distance routes where a rapid fill-up is required to make the trip time acceptably low.  This is a small fraction of total charging needs, and the total requirement is probably in the high thousands or low tens of thousands.

HarveyD

Over 50% of potential Canadian PHEV/BEV/FCEV users do not have easy access to 115/230 VAC outlets and ultra quick charging public stations/facilities may be the easy/practical way out.

Building codes are being changed/upgraded so future condos and private homes garages will be equipped with appropriate outlets. Since the turn over is often 50+ years, properly equipped private garages/parking places is not for tomorrow. A few provinces are offering subsidies for private/home charging facilities.

Meanwhile, public ultra quick charge stations/facilities and/or place of work, shopping centre/restaurants/street side parkings etc may be a practical alternative.

Engineer-Poet

Harvey, that's silly.  If a large fraction of the population is relying on fast chargers for most or all of their mobility (probably during peak travel hours, morning and evening) then the electric load is going to have some radical peaks.  That breaks the basic assumptions behind having a grid in the first place.

The sane way to handle this is to roll out EVs for people who have some means of charging at home, overnight, to firm up the off-peak demand slump and get better usage out of the existing infrastructure.  Until charging is rolled out to on-street and multi-unit parking, then people who use that simply shouldn't buy EVs.  The infrastructure problem will probably be fixed a lot faster than the vehicle mix is changing.

HarveyD

Unfortunately, building codes are not upgraded very often or often enough. Even if you change building codes tomorrow, it will take about 50 years until the majority have easy access to over-night slow charging facilities.

However, about 50% of potential EV owners/users already have easy access to 115/230 VAC outlets for slow over night charging. Availability for the other 50% will be progressive and/or will require substantial investment in many cases.

Street side charging facilities could be another practical solution for many but has to be well designed and installed to reduce (visual and mechanical) interference to an acceptable level.

Engineer-Poet

You don't get the point.  You don't have to change building codes at all.  People will demand charging be available.  Owners will have it installed, and multi-unit dwellings which install it will be able to charge higher rents (or merit higher condo prices) than those which do not.

Landlords may even use charging as a way to attract a higher class of tenant, and other landlords follow suit to avoid losing tenants.  It will sweep through that way.

HarveyD

Most builders barely respect existing minimum building codes and will not overdo it unless they are forced to do so. It is a way to maximize profit. The same apply to ecological units requiring less energy and more so with the installation of solar energy and adequate e-storage.

Better building practices seem to be limited to Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and a few other EU countries. USA and Canada are not in the list.

The comments to this entry are closed.