Submitted by Caeli Mazara
The Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association is excited to announce a plan funded by the M.H. Brigham Association to outfit the Northern Bruce Peninsula with fifty Level Two electric vehicle (EV) chargers this spring. The program will supply interested hotels, motels, campgrounds, and bed and breakfasts with a free charger and up to $1,000 in reimbursements for installation. A Level Two charger is one with an output of 240 volts, allowing the vehicle to charge to full over about seven hours.
Electric vehicle sales are soaring globally, even in the wake of a downturn in sales of traditional vehicles. Here in Ontario, there are over 45,000 EVs on the road. They are an appealing choice not only for their environmental benefit — an EV releases about 98% less CO2 than an internal combustion vehicle — but also for their operating cost. Because EVs are simple (no muffler, catalytic converter, transmission, timing belt, or fuel injector) the maintenance cost is far lower. No oil changes are needed, and when charged at home, the fuel cost is two thirds lower. Consumer’s reports estimate the lifetime cost of maintaining an EV is half the cost of an internal combustion vehicle.
One of the biggest concerns for an EV owner is where the next charge will come from. “Range anxiety” is becoming a thing of the past as more EV charging stations are installed across the province. EV owners most often chose their accommodation based on the availability of a charge, but currently there are few chargers between Wiarton and Tobermory. On the opposite side of Georgian Bay, by contrast, chargers are scattered all the way from Toronto to Sudbury. The Biosphere’s program will fill in the gaps on the Peninsula and provide charge to those environmentally-minded visitors who drive an EV.
Photos: Electric Vehicles come at many price points, but all reduce carbon emissions. Here are a few familiar community faces who own EV’s.
Are you a tourism operator Interested in receiving a free charger for your location?
Learn more and fill out a registration form on the Biosphere Association’s website: www.bpba.ca/ev-charger-program. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2021 and chargers will be available at the end of March. Installation of the charger should be completed by July 1, 2021 in order to receive the maximum reimbursement.
