GO Electric Cars
Friends of the environment, people looking for more interesting automotive careers in Toronto and people who champion the use of electric vehicles can rejoice, as there is a city plan in place that grants those who prefer electric power a little victory. GO Transit has announced they are implimenting charging stations at their train stations. The project is designed to make it easier for city commuters to do the right thing and go green. It might also pique interest in automotive careers centered around electric vehicles. People are a buzz about the project, and the general opinion is that it will make electric vehicles much more popular, as one of the biggest concerns about electric vehicles is that it’s a hassle to find a charging station.
Currently the charging stations have been rolled out in the Oakville, as well as Aurora, Centennial, Lincolnville and Whitby stations. Ajax, Burlington, Pickering, Erindale and Clarkson will be receiving the charging stations sometime in 2014, meaning that electric vehicle automotive training in Toronto might be on the rise in the next few years.
Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray calls the project a “demand driven” one. This means that the more use the stations get, the more stations will be available and the more efficient they will be. The project is still in the pilot stages for now – clocking in at 3 years and $500,000, and if there appears to be great demand for the stations, then the plan will be adjusted accordingly to accommodate the need.
While electric cars are gaining in popularity, there are still only 1,800 electric cars in Ontario and 5,000 across Canada. Many hope that this project will encourage the use of electric vehicles and promote carpooling, eliminating a lot of the reliance on gas vehicles and, ultimately, reducing our carbon emissions and promoting a cleaner, more environmentally friendly Ontario. There is a chance this also might increase the amount of mechanic courses in Toronto to meet increase in demand for electric vehicles.
The charging stations will be available to the public if they ride transit or not. The machines are free for the first month, but then require a charge of $2.50 per use, which is still an exceptionally cheap charge. Payment can be made through credit card or a “Chargepoint” card to be used at various charging stations around the province. Presto fare payment cards and London’s Oyster cards will unfortunately not work at the stations.
The length of time it takes to charge an electric vehicle can differ, based on the make, model, age of the car and a multitude of other factors. The average time to charge a vehicle is around four to six hours. Users of the service will be able to leave their cars at the charging stations for the day, if need be, and the transit service says it will do everything it can to make sure users and their vehicles are accommodated.
