January 11, 2010 ... With a nod to the future, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has installed four new electric vehicle charging stations in the first level of the Whistler Conference Centre underground parking lot.
"The charging stations are a small step on a much larger journey toward sustainability; however they demonstrate that Whistler is continuously willing to explore and support new opportunities for progressive energy and emissions management," said Mayor Ken Melamed.
Activated this week, the stations allow electric vehicles to boost their batteries free of charge before heading to Vancouver and beyond. It takes about four hours and 50 kilowatts of electricity to charge a typical electric car battery. At six cents per kilowatt, Dave Patterson, RMOW Manager of Park and Village Operations, said charging drivers for the power would cost more than giving it away for free.
Each charging station includes two plugs; one for overnight charges and the other for shorter term charges.
"I believe these charging stations help us on the road to sustainability. It's another option to give locals and visitors," Patterson said. "We are staying ahead of the curve as more and more electric vehicles come on the market."
The electric car charging stations offer a service that Patterson said people will be looking for in the near future. Whistler is one of the fist communities in British Columbia to offer electric vehicle charging stations. Electric cars have long been hailed as the future of driving yet they've been difficult to find on car dealership lots. This year, that will change.
Several big automakers plan to start introducing a range of electric vehicles in late 2010, giving the broader public its first chance to buy the vehicles that rely more on the electrical outlet than the gas pump. In the next several years, most major car companies plan to release vehicles that use electricity to get around.
In Whistler, greenhouse gases from passenger vehicles are the single largest source of emissions across the community, representing approximately half (46 per cent) of our community's total emission footprint. Gasoline and diesel consumption represent one third of emissions from RMOW municipal operations.
The charging stations are also consistent with the intent and direction of the Integrated Energy, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Management Plan, the Sea to Sky Air Quality Management Plan, as well as RMOW commitments to the UBCM Climate Action Charter, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program.
As of January 23, underground parking at the Whistler Conference Centre will be closed to the public and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) will have exclusive use of the lot until April 4, after which the public will have full access to parking and the charging stations.
