Photo: Ontario Ministry of Tranportation
The argument against Electric Vehicles for those not living in urban centres is that they are not suitable for commuting from the suburbs to the city core. While statistics show that the range on electric vehicles today meet the needs of about 85% of commuters, there may still be some who like the idea of owning an electric vehicle but either are among the 15% who reside outside of EV commuting range, or simply don’t like the risk of cutting it close.
For those living in the outskirts of the Greater Toronto Area, a new initiative by the regional commuter service is now making it possible for eco-conscious commuters to own EV’s while not worrying about any potential range limitations attached to where they reside.
GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx has just announced some interesting enviro news in that new electric vehicle charging stations are up and running at five GO stations in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to make it easier for drivers to use environmentally friendly transportation.
As of November 27th, Aurora, Centennial, Lincolnville, Oakville and Whitby GO stations will offer charging stations for electric vehicles. Ajax, Burlington, Pickering, Erindale and Clarkson GO stations will open electric vehicle charging facilities in early 2014.
There will be a total of 20 electric vehicle parking stations across the 10 stations. Metrolinx advises that they will monitor the demand for these lots and will adjust spaces if necessary according to demand.
The 20 spaces will be dedicated for EV charging only and vehicles that do not require the use of a charger will not be allowed to park in these spaces.
“These new electric vehicle charging stations support environmentally friendly transportation”, notes Glen Murray, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “They also help improve public transit by providing commuters with another option for accessing GO stations, along with carpooling, kiss-and-ride facilities and bicycle storage.”
Charging a car will be free for the first month; after that, each charging session will cost $2.50. Electric vehicle users can wave a credit card or a Chargepoint smart card over a card reader to pay for their electric vehicle charging access.
The charging units will be Level 2 (220/240 volts), which would typically allow vehicles to be fully charged by the time the user arrives back from their daily commute.
Supporting sustainable, green transportation is part of the Ontario government’s economic plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.
“Launching a network of electric vehicle charging stations demonstrates how Metrolinx is investing in sustainable transportation, a key component of The Big Move” says Bruce McCuaig, President and CEO at Metrolinx.
These new charging stations are part of a three-year pilot program, which according to Metrolinx may be expanded depending on demand. With the slow but steady growth of Electric Vehicles in the province, and with new EV models expected to arrive in dealerships during the trial period, it’s hoped that this will become permanent and wide spread across the public transportation network in this area of more than 5 million people.
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