With the increasing prices of gasoline to fuel cars, and the gathering pernicious impact of global warming, people are steadily turning to solar-powered electric vehicles (EV) and viewing solar energy in Vancouver to power recharging stations for their electric cars as a positive alternative. Ted Laturnus, in his article for Straight.com, writes about the city’s growing support of building more recharging stations in the area:
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the City of Vancouver took an interest in the day’s proceedings. Councillors[sic] Raymond Louie and Andrea Reimer were on hand to cut some ribbon and test-drive some cars. “Vancouver city council is strongly in support of this event,” Louie asserted. “We’ve now got, what, 93 charging stations throughout the city, with more to come. We’re also talking with developers, and some condos will now come with a recharging option when you move in.”
The shift in public attitude for electric vehicles is expected to solve numerous problems related to our current energy consumption. Right now 35% of British Columbia greenhouse gas emissions come from the transport sector. Reducing that level adds to the relief from the strain on over-reliance on non-renewable energy resources. With spikes in gasoline prices every year, it is becoming far costly (and impractical) to drive large, gas-guzzling automobiles around. The idea of charging up at a recharging station for far less will be the cheaper option, especially at stations using solar panels for Vancouver charging stations, such as those offered by Terratek Energy Inc.
You can save quite a bit by charging from the grid compared to gassing up (considering that you can get 43 miles for a dollar's worth of electricity, with average cars going for an average of 24.9 miles per gallon). However, when your recharging station uses solar panels to power your recharging station, you essentially get power for free and, in some cases, be able to sell back electricity into the local power grid to generate some revenues.
Driving an electric vehicle has some attractive advantages. If you’re not into queuing up, you can charge up your car at your home (or at any recharging station where you’ve parked your electric vehicle). It doesn’t even take that long—15 seconds to charge up. Electric cars also make for a smoother and quieter drive than their traditional counterparts. The electric engine that powers the car doesn’t make much noise; furthermore, it comes with higher torque, which you’ll discern when you step on the accelerator with all that horsepower delivered directly to the wheels.
Electric vehicles have better fuel efficiency than your normal car; it’s been calculated that an average electric car can go 43 miles on just a dollar’s worth of electricity. With these advantages, an electric car is a smart purchase for anyone looking for a greener, kinder, and a more practical driving experience.
(Source: Vancouver says yes to more electric vehicles, Straight.com, August 20, 2014)
