Are developers supporting electric vehicles?

[Walter Moar]

Are any of the new (large) developments providing receptacles for charging electric vehicles? I was pondering getting an electric scooter for use around town, but the building I live in has no way for me to charge it.

If electric scooters and cars become more common, how will they be supported by developers? How do you meter the electricity drawn for charging, and bill the proper tenant? How can older buildings be retrofitted?

[Mike K.]

Retrofitting an existing building would be a decision made by the strata, I think.

I'm not sure about new buildings coming online with charging stations, however.

[Holden West]

That's a good point about the charging. Hmm...I just came up with an idea. You park you electric vehicle in the space and a scanner permanently mounted on the wall automatically reads a bar code on your license plate. Or you could just swipe a card--better if you owned multiple vehicles. It would be just like buying gas with Interac.

Some developers are including lease of a Smart Car as part of the ammenity package for tenants. This also enables the developer to squeeze in an extra space since the car is so small.

[m0nkyman]

I'm sure this has been solved everywhere but in BC. Most parking spots in Canada have a plug for the block heater....

[gumgum]

Do electric vehicles use standard voltage?

[Walter Moar]

Originally Posted by m0nkyman

I'm sure this has been solved everywhere but in BC. Most parking spots in Canada have a plug for the block heater....

Good point! I'm assuming that in that case electricity is an unmetered amenity. I'd guess that charging a car would draw much more power. Do cars / scooters have normal 3-prong plugs, or some sort of special plug? If somewhere provides block-heater power, does that mean someone with an electric car drives for free?

(Sorry, more questions than answers! Just something I've been thinking about lately).

[Walter Moar]

Just for info, the GWEV site says that charging a scooter costs $0.25.

[Holden West]

Maybe that's a benefit ALL tenants should pay for. After all, who wouldn't prefer a parking garage that's not filled with stinky fumes and carbon monoxide?

[Sparky]

Boy, this is an old thread.

I happenned to stop at Thifty's Quadra and Cook this morning and noticed the Electric Vehicle Charging station. The service appears to be free. It uses a standard 120 volt duplex receptacle so I am not sure if this is meant for cars, scooters, or both.

[Mike K.]

This must be one of the very few such charging stations in the CRD. I've never heard or seen of one before.

[sebberry]

They have these plugs all over Edmonton. They're called engine block heater receptacles