Chris Clegg
It is interesting to note how different municipalities in the South Peace, North Peace and Smoky River regions have chosen to handle electric charging stations. Some have jumped in with both feet while others are afraid to test the waters, so to speak.
There are vocal supporters and opponents to the idea. The municipalities who have gone “all-in” cite the financial help offered by bigger governments. They beat to the drum saying it will cost more later if they change their mind and the grants dry up. They may not be wrong.
Opponents question the value, especially when they wonder how an electric vehicle will be heated during one of northern Alberta’s -40C winter days. Not to mention the strain on an already overloaded power grid. Imagine if a few hundred thousand vehicles were charging each night? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be so happy!
Technology is producing more efficient electric vehicles each day. Who knows how much better they will be in five years? Ten years?
And will the existing electric charging system being installed comply with today’s vehicles? No one knows.
The evolution of the electric car in today’s society is not unlike two other events of the past decade: the implementation of the metric system and recycling. Both were taught in schools with many oldtimers digging in their heels and refusing to take part in such rubbish. It did not stop Canada from going Metric or for recycling to gain momentum, although we have a long way to go.
But the fact is the acceptance of Metric and recycling began to gain momentum when the first crop of students began graduating and entering the economic system as wage earners. They took that knowledge taught in schools into mainstream society. Today, the younger generation is still more apt to recycle than the older people. They were taught it was the “right thing to do” in the schools.
Keep in mind it was tough for parents of decades ago to look their little girl in the eye and tell her recycling was worthless, especially when you were accustomed to tossing everything into the trash bin all your life. Old habits are hard to break.
Metric and recycling turned out to be not so bad. Recycling, we still struggle with. It is cheaper to make new products and toss the old ones away than to recycle. How backward is that? But it is the reality? In a perfect world, everything possible would be recycled and economically feasible to do so but we are far from that perfect world.
Electric charging stations and vehicles are no different. Up here in the Great White North, maybe not such a good idea but in a few years, who knows! Advancements will be made and more people will buy in.
For municipalities which chose to not install electric vehicle charging stations, did the miss the boat? Was it a missed opportunity? The best judge of this will be history 5-10 years down the road.
Meanwhile, give some credit to those who support the idea. They are doing their part to help the environment and no one can fault them for that!
