Electric Cars Vancouver

Electric Cars in Vancouver received a much needed boost last week as the Environment Minister Terry Lake announced that starting December 1st, 2011, electric car buyers and electric car owners will see $5000  and $500 dollar rebates to help increase the popularity and usage of electric cars.

B.C drivers will be eligible for $5,000 off the sticker price of vehicles that are powered by battery electric, fuel-cell electric, plug-in hybrid electric or compressed natural gas. In addition, homeowners who install dedicated charging stations for their clean-energy vehicles will get a rebate of up to $500.

In March, Mercedes-Benz Canada announced it was building a plant in Burnaby to manufacture fuel-cell stacks for hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles.

As the idea of being less reliant on big oil companies grows, the City of Vancouver has taken the lead in ensuring that electric cars get top priority. As taken from their website, here’s some of what the city is doing:

• Requiring all new single-family homes and off-street bicycle storage rooms to have dedicated electric plug-in outlets;
• Requiring charging infrastructure for 20% of all parking stalls in new condo buildings;
• Leading a electric vehicle charging infrastructure pilot program for home, work and on the go as part of a broader conservation collaborative with BC Hydro;
• Encouraging all major automakers to bring their new electric vehicles to Vancouver as soon as possible;
• Owning the first Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) deployed in a Vancouver Fleet. It is a stock Toyota Prius Hybrid with a Plug-In Conversion Module that increases the car’s electrical capacity by more than ten times;
• Signing a non exclusive agreement with Mitsubishi, BC Hydro and the BC Government to test what Mitsubishi describes as the world’s first production-ready, highway-capable electric car to be produced this year in Japan. The i MiEV has joined the City’s fleet in Nov 2009 for demonstration and evaluation purposes. Read letter from Vancouver’s Mayor to Mitsubishi factory workers; and
• Working with representatives from Renault-Nissan, the Province of BC, and BC Hydro to identify opportunities to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles in Vancouver and other areas in BC. Discussions will also explore the establishment of charging infrastructure in Vancouver.

Are you in the market to make a significant vehicle change, one that can help the environment and lower emissions of green house gases? If that’s the case you may be wondering if you should go with an electric car. There are lots of points to consider and we have included some of the top ones here as per EV Canada (Electric Vehicles Canada).

How an Electric Car outperforms a traditional Gas Car:

• Electric Cars reduce dependence on oil and price manipulated oil markets.

• Electric Cars reduce vehicle energy costs by up to 90%

• Electric Cars mitigate global warming

• Electric Cars do not produce noxious fumes.

• Electric Cars can run as fast as internal combustion engine vehicles

• Electric Car technology can provide as many as 500,000 Km of service

• Home recharging is more convenient than trips to gasoline stations.

• Regenerative braking can significantly improve vehicle efficiency.

• Recharging costs are more predictable than gas prices, and not subject to volatile international incidents.

• Electric Cars can provide power to a home in the case of a power outage if specially equipped.

If you still aren’t convinced that buying an Electric Car is the way to go then head over here to the EV Canada website to read the full list of Electric Car benefits.

Chevrolet Volt electric car engineers and designers have been working hard to bring the Volt to market, as GM tries to rebuilt its image and shed the gas-guzzling stereotype. While working towards launching the Volt next year, GM Chief Executive Fritz Henderson has excitedly announced another fantastic trait of the new Chevy Volt. The ability to get 100k out of one single litre of fuel!

Henderson said the Volt would get a “triple-digit” fuel economy rating for combined highway and city driving based on a draft standard developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“The Volt is becoming very real, very fast,” Henderson said in a webcast recently. In addition to the great fuel economy, the Volt is designed to run for 40 miles from a single charge of a lithium-ion battery pack. After the battery is partly depleted, a small combustion engine is designed to kick in to recharge the battery and power the vehicle.

Since the news of the  230mpg came out, many people have debunked it for two reasons.

1. These 230mpg(100lkm) were obtained with the electric batteries AND the engine itself so perhaps mpg is no longer a valid measure of fuel economy, at least when it comes to hybrid or electric vehicles.
2. The EPA did not test the Chevy Volt, so could not substantiate GM’s claims

Although there still remains some dispute about the actual numbers, there is a clear winner with the Chevy Volt. The Environment.

Hopefully more and more people use common sense and buy a electric car to help reduce the negative affects of convention engines.

For more about the Chevy Volt, check out the website

Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, is a chapter of the Electric Automobile Association and proud to support the use of battery-powered electric cars and bicycles. Here’s more about what the VEVA is about, taken from their website…

VEVA is registered under the Societies Act of British Columbia as a Non-Profit Organization that promotes the use of Battery Powered Electric Vehicles. While our membership is drawn largely from the lower mainland we have members from all over BC as well as other provinces and states. Many of our members have built electric vehicles including passenger cars and bicycles. We meet monthly to discuss current events, projects under development and to plan for various events which we attend each year promoting the concepts of Electric Vehicles.

VEVA meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM (July and August excluded), in the BCIT Electrical Trades Cafeteria, Building SE1, Burnaby, BC. VEVA is open to membership by any individual or organization.

A one-year membership is only $25, ($10 for students enrolled in a full-time program).

Veva’s Article of Incorporation States:

“The purpose of the Society is to promote and develop a general interest in the use of electric vehicle transportation as an alternative to the internal combustion engine. Electric propulsion is environmentally superior to alternative fuels such as natural gas, propane, gasolines, etc. in that it is clean, quiet, and more efficient.

The society will be a non-profit organization, will hold regular meetings to expand the knowledge of its members and will identify and pursue club projects that will encourage public acceptance of the Electric Vehicle for both Urban and Medical applications.

Electric Vehicle Rallys and Parades will be organized for local, national, and international participation. Participation in Electrical Trade Shows with Exhibits and information booths is also anticipated.”

If you’d like to know more about the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association and become a member, click here.

Vancouver Electric Car owners have a new condo that they can call home, complete with the ability to recharge electric cars right in their parking spots!

Vancouver Condo buyers at Concord Pacific’s new Cosmo building will be able to recharge electric cars of all varieties with 220v charging stations located in about 20% of the downtown Vancouver Condo’s parking stalls.

According to Concord’s Senior VP Peter Webb,

“This is about sustainability.We’re saying it’s no longer science fiction. It’s a reality. “It’s also not long before high-density projects without plug-in capability will be obsolete. It will be like buying a TV today without high definition. We think for the purchasers, this project will give them a longer market advantage.”

With Concord pushing forward with electric vehicle infrastructure in their downtown buildings, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson praised them by saying,

“We’re excited that Concord is leading on this green initiative — they’ve actually come out in front of our Greenest City Action Team’s recommendation to expand plug-in infrastructure across Vancouver. By providing the first 220v charging stations in a downtown building, Concord’s development is helping us to become the greenest city in the world, and make Vancouver a hub for electric car technology.”

We think it’s a great idea that Condo developers are getting on board and giving back to the same environment that they detract from when they build. With the ability to recharge your electric car at home, more and more people will choose to go electric, especially those that have short commutes or rarely drive. This is a great idea from a forward-looking developer and hope that more Condo developers and home-builders get on board the Vancouver Electric Car solution!

Tesla Motors is a California based electric automobile company focusing on the production of high performance, consumer-oriented battery electric vehicles.

Tesla Motors is named after the electrical engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla and was incorporated in July 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in San Carlos, California.

Tesla Motors’ electric cars come in two models at this time, however more are in the design stages and looking to be brought into production soon.

The Tesla Roadster, a pure electric car that can go from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds, can drive over 244 miles per charge(392 kilometres!), has a carbon fiber body and costs only pennies per mile.

The Tesla Motors S is another pure electric car that can travel up to 300 miles (482 kilometres!) on one charge. With a 45 minute QuickCharge this electric car can go 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds and has more cargo space that most sedans.

For more information on Telsa Motors, head to their website.

Mitsubishi Electric Car - Vancouver

Thanks to BC Hydro and Vancouver City Council, electric cars are legal to drive in Vancouver now! Expected to land on Vancouver streets before the end of 2009, Vancouver electric cars will grow in popularity as more and more people become conscious of what gas-powered vehicles are doing to both the environment and the wallet. Electric cars are great for anyone living in a big city or small towns. Quick trips to the store, medical appointments, kids sports, etc, will now be much cheaper and better for the environment!

Here’s the press release from BC Hydro.

The first production-ready, highway-capable electric car in the world will be on B.C. streets before the end of 2009.

The Mitsubishi i MiEV is a new zero-emission, pure electric car with extended range that will be tested by BC Hydro and the City of Vancouver according to a memorandum of understanding announced today by the city, the Province of B.C., BC Hydro and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Incorporated.

Under the terms of the agreement, one car would be added to BC Hydro’s fleet of vehicles and one to the City of Vancouver’s fleet for demonstration and evaluation purposes. The agreement also allows for the addition of more cars as they become available.

“Electric cars are part of the sustainable transportation solution for British Columbia and I am pleased that the i MiEV will make its Canadian debut in Vancouver,” said Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Blair Lekstrom. “By looking at new, innovative technologies, we can work toward achieving our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission by 33 per cent by 2020.”

“We are committed to green technologies and to leading the way in electric car development,” said Koji Soga, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. “The i MiEV represents the pinnacle of Mitsubishi Motors’ green technologies. We believe in this car, in its potential and in its future.”

BC Hydro and the City of Vancouver are already partners in the Province’s broader plug-in electric vehicle program, which is committed to demonstrating the opportunities for electric vehicles in B.C. and their potential demands on public infrastructure.

“I’m thrilled that Vancouver gets to debut the i MiEv,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “We want to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world, and supporting this early adoption of plug-in electric cars is one way that Vancouver is becoming a leader in green technology. Electric vehicles are an important way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions when combined with improvements to transit, biking and walking.”

“We are at a turning point in the history of the automobile industry,” said Shinji Kowase, president & CEO Mitsubishi Canada Limited. “This worldwide economic recession will come to an end, but we cannot go back to business- as-usual. We are reinventing our industries with a new commitment to the environment. Every facet of Mitsubishi’s multiple business endeavors reflects our commitment to the new Green Economy – especially electric vehicles such as the one we are showcasing here today: the i MiEV. It is the face of the future.”

BC Hydro has launched a comprehensive strategy to become carbon neutral in its operations by 2010. A large portion of the strategy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from BC Hydro’s vehicle fleet. BC Hydro has also recently added a new hybrid bucket truck to its fleet and has converted three hybrid vehicles to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Announced in October 2006, the Mitsubishi i MiEV represents the height of Mitsubishi Motors’ green technologies. Currently involved in testing and promotional activities in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Europe, the i MiEV will be launched in Japan during the summer of 2009.