Info meeting on electric cars coming

Technology and market forces are zapping life into the electric vehicle industry.

Some residents of the local area own electric vehicles, and charging stations are now seeping into the Prince George urban landscape.

A meeting will be held Tuesday for anyone with an electric vehicle (EV), or those interested in the possibilities of these cars powered without the use of fossil fuels. Various electric vehicles will be on display including one of the rock stars of the EV genre, a brand new Tesla Model S.

The public is invited to this unique car show and casual tech-chat from 5-7 p.m. at the Coast Inn of the North, in the parking lot between the hotel and the public library.

“The Coast Inn of the North has the only publicly accessible Tesla charging station in Prince George,” said Doug Beckett, a longtime member of the Prince George Electric Vehicle Association (PG-EVA). “The Coast Inn of the North also has a Level 2 J-plug charging station,” for non-Tesla electric vehicles.

There are other J-plug charging stations around the city, more being added all the time, and the homes of EV owners also have charging stations installed.

“This province is gaining a lot of momentum, buying EVs,” said Beckett, who is now driving his family’s second electric vehicle. According to new statistics sourced by Plug In BC, the electric vehicle advocacy newsletter, said Beckett, “B.C. has had a strong year with record breaking sales of EVs totaling 850 (in the second quarter) of 2017. This means that nearly four per cent of all new passenger cars sold in B.C. are EVs. This beats out all other provinces and territories.”

For more information on the PG-EVA and the Tuesday evening gathering, Beckett invited those interested to email him at druid@pgweb.com.