Electric Vehicles - Saltspring Island is on the road to gold.
Salt Spring Island is proud to have the highest Electric Car (EV) ownership per capita in North America – 205 EVs on an island with a population of 10,500.
We have a network of 10 free, fast-charging “level 2” charging stations for public use, mainly to provide charging capacity to tourists. They’re also convenient for locals who can’t get to their home charger, or who have just purchased their EV and don’t yet own a Level 2 charger. All Salt Spring residents are encouraged to install a Level 2 charger in their home.
We calculate that our fleet of 205 EVs have cut fuel use on the island by over 225,000 litres per year. This translates to abouteight fuel truck deliveries (which arrive on special ferries devot-ed to dangerous goods), or 750 tonnes of CO2 emission. That’s a lot of CO2, but does not include the additional greenhouse gas-ses that are generated by exploration, drilling, extraction, refin- ing, and transport of fossil fuels.
Instead, moisture falls from the sky as rain or snow, collects be- hind hydroelectric dams, produces electricity, and is transferredto an EV by an existing and stable grid. Over 96% of the electricity produced by BC Hydro is hydroelectric. Our EVs run on rain.
Our taxi company, Silver Shadow, is now operating a Chevrolet Bolt EV. Tour Salt Spring, a local tour company, owns a hybrid vehicle fuelled by electricity produced from solar panels. Their tours are powered by the sun.
After an historic December storm, Salt Spring Island sufferedsevere power outages. Several EV owners wired inverters to their vehicles to provide clean and quiet power to run fridges, freezers, and communications equipment. How cool is that?
We are grateful to our energetic volunteers, and the kind and generous business owners who support a better future for the planet. The future is electric!
EV charging stations can be found at the ArtSpring Arts Theatre (2 wands), Country Grocer (2 wands), Moby’s Marine Pub and Oyster bar (1 Tesla and 1 standard wand), Island Savings Credit Union (1 wand), Fernwood Cafe (1 wand), Fulford Community Hall (1 wand), the Rental Stop (1 wand), the Salt Spring Apple Company (1 Tesla wand and 1 standard wand), the Salt Spring library (1 wand) and the Golf Course (1 wand).
More charging stations are planned, as well as a network of electric bike stations.
Jim Standen is the Team Lead for the Transition Salt Spring EV Group on Salt Spring Island (web: www.ssiev.ca).
18 | watershedsentinel.ca
Salt Spring Island is proud to have the highest Electric Car (EV) ownership per capita in North America – 205 EVs on an island with a population of 10,500.
We have a network of 10 free, fast-charging “level 2” charging stations for public use, mainly to provide charging capacity to tourists. They’re also convenient for locals who can’t get to their home charger, or who have just purchased their EV and don’t yet own a Level 2 charger. All Salt Spring residents are encouraged to install a Level 2 charger in their home.
We calculate that our fleet of 205 EVs have cut fuel use on the island by over 225,000 litres per year. This translates to abouteight fuel truck deliveries (which arrive on special ferries devot-ed to dangerous goods), or 750 tonnes of CO2 emission. That’s a lot of CO2, but does not include the additional greenhouse gas-ses that are generated by exploration, drilling, extraction, refin- ing, and transport of fossil fuels.
Instead, moisture falls from the sky as rain or snow, collects be- hind hydroelectric dams, produces electricity, and is transferredto an EV by an existing and stable grid. Over 96% of the electricity produced by BC Hydro is hydroelectric. Our EVs run on rain.
Our taxi company, Silver Shadow, is now operating a Chevrolet Bolt EV. Tour Salt Spring, a local tour company, owns a hybrid vehicle fuelled by electricity produced from solar panels. Their tours are powered by the sun.
After an historic December storm, Salt Spring Island sufferedsevere power outages. Several EV owners wired inverters to their vehicles to provide clean and quiet power to run fridges, freezers, and communications equipment. How cool is that?
We are grateful to our energetic volunteers, and the kind and generous business owners who support a better future for the planet. The future is electric!
EV charging stations can be found at the ArtSpring Arts Theatre (2 wands), Country Grocer (2 wands), Moby’s Marine Pub and Oyster bar (1 Tesla and 1 standard wand), Island Savings Credit Union (1 wand), Fernwood Cafe (1 wand), Fulford Community Hall (1 wand), the Rental Stop (1 wand), the Salt Spring Apple Company (1 Tesla wand and 1 standard wand), the Salt Spring library (1 wand) and the Golf Course (1 wand).
More charging stations are planned, as well as a network of electric bike stations.
Jim Standen is the Team Lead for the Transition Salt Spring EV Group on Salt Spring Island (web: www.ssiev.ca).
18 | watershedsentinel.ca