District of Maple Ridge Unveils Zero Emission Vehicles
During the recent Earth Day celebration, the District of Maple Ridge unveiled one of the three new Nissan Leaf zero emission electric vehicles, which have been added to the fleet. The District’s first fully electric vehicle, a Chevy Sonoma pickup truck, was unveiled in 2011. That vehicle assisted with the development of the business case for the purchase of the three new Nissan Leaf vehicles.
Since applying in 2012, the District now has eight fully operating Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations in Maple Ridge, funded through the province’s Community Charging Infrastructure fund. Mayor Ernie Daykin also highlighted that there has been an abundance of public interest in this green technology.
Also highlighted were the financial and environmental benefits associated with this technology. The province of British Columbia currently offers provincial rebates available for electric vehicles and there is a considerable amount of savings in fuel and maintenance as well.
The Mayor concluded that Council will be exploring the operation of the charging stations in one year and will decide on the model that they wish to follow going forward. For this first year, drivers are able to charge their vehicles free of charge, in order to entice local residents to reduce their carbon footprint.
Electric Circuit Group Welcomes New Partnership
The signing of a new partnership agreement between Electric Circuit and the City of Terrebonne has been announced. Announced by the founding partners – Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, RONA, METRO, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT), and Hydro-Québec – the City will join a total of 32 partners, installing four public charging stations for electric vehicles.
Terrebonne Mayor Jean-Marc Robitaille highlighted that the city is committed to moving forward on its green plan - which aims to develop and promote sustainable development – and this will be another step in the right direction. It is their hope that this new local charging network in Terrebonne will serve as an incentive for more residents to go green.
Launched in March 2012, the Electric Circuit offers over 150 charging stations throughout Québec. A major project in the rollout of charging infrastructure needed to support the arrival of plug-in vehicles, the Electric Circuit will continue to expand to cover even more regions across the province.