https://www.coastreporter.net/community/features/bolting-through-the-canadian-rockies-1.24028697 Bolting through the Canadian Rockies DECEMBER 8, 2019 Gayle Neilson
[image / Gayle Neilson https://images.glaciermedia.ca/polopoly_fs/1.24028698.1575575715!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_804/electric-vehicles.jpg The BC Hydro quick charger at Rogers Pass ] Part of taking an electric vehicle (EV) on a road trip is the nervousness of “what if we can’t find a charger.” Knowing that Buddy Boyd and Barb Hetherington took their electric Bolt across Canada and back in 2017 gave us that extra bit of confidence, and we’ve now made the trip to Alberta in our 2019 electric Bolt twice. Driving through the mountains of BC is always breath-taking and the excellent range of the 2019 Bolt made the trip relatively worry-free (not to mention guilt-free) in our zero emissions vehicle. The first stop is the pretty town of Hope with its amazing chainsaw wood carvings, worth a look even if you’re not charging an electric car. There are two Level 2 chargers* near the centrally-located park but travellers need Level 3 charging – fortunately, there is one just around the corner from the park. It’s often in use, which is where EV charging etiquette comes in. You should not plug in and wander off for hours as another traveller might desperately need a charge! Once plugged in we take the dog for a walk in the park, find a bite to eat and check in frequently to make sure no one else needs to charge. Some EV owners have taken to leaving a note on their dash to let others know when they’ll be back. A good rule of thumb at quick chargers is 30 to 40 minutes, less if someone is waiting. You only need an 80 per cent charge – after that the charging rate slows significantly. The Bolt’s range is such that we don’t need a full charge to reach the next stop. The Coquihalla is beautiful and the rest stop at Britten Creek has two convenient charging stations. Since they’re both available, we charge slightly over 80 per cent while we enjoy some tasty veggie samosas sold out of a popular food truck – the proprietor tells us that his wife makes the samosas fresh every day. And of course, the dog has a walk. There are both Level 2 and Level 3 chargers in Merritt, but we don’t need to charge until Kamloops where there is a quick charger at the Thompson Rivers University along with washrooms and fields to walk the dog. Salmon Arm is our usual stopover on the two-day trip to Alberta and several hotels have Level 2 charging – all that’s needed for an overnight stay. One of our favourite must-dos is the Barley Station Brewpub. The town’s natural, reed-filled lakefront is visited by a large number of birds that nest or stopover on Shuswap Lake, making a pleasant lakeside walk. We drive through spectacular mountains to Rogers Pass, the first stop of day two, where there is a wonderful new interpretive centre in addition to both a Level 2 and a Level 3 charger. The dog loves the trip with the many walks in interesting places along the way. The last stop before the Alberta border is picturesque Field, with a nice Parks Canada centre and great washrooms. Other stops of interest along the Trans Canada include family friendly Enchanted Forest between Revelstoke and Golden. With grandkids in Alberta, we’ve stopped everywhere from the last spike to short hikes among towering old growth trees. The ancient hemlock grove is particularly nice. We’ve even taken a side trip to the magnificent Revelstoke dam. Eventually we’ll have to pay, but so far we’ve spent nothing on electricity from here to Alberta and back and EVs are blissfully quiet. Most Level 3 chargers in B.C. are operated by BC Hydro with plans afoot to charge per KWH but kinks are still being worked out. Once pay charging is in place, it will still be cheaper than gasoline as electric motors are so incredibly efficient. Best of all, no tailpipe with noxious pollutants or CO2 spewing out – a guilt-free trip indeed! * Electric cars can be plugged into a house receptacle (overnight charge) or a Level 2 (inexpensive to install, but charging takes several hours). A Level 3 (quick charger) is expensive to install but gives a fast boost in a half hour – usually an hour is not needed and the extra time taken is a waste. [© coastreporter.net] + (Bolting through the SF-CA hills) https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chevy-Bolt-electric-vehicle-pros-and-cons-savings-14832188.php What I've learned from owning an electric vehicle in San Francisco for a year November 14, 2019 It was time for a new car. In the spirit of supporting technology that reduces tailpipe emissions, we settled on a Chevy Bolt electric vehicle as our new daily driver. I love my car, and I often get ... https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/06/76/62/18607264/3/920x920.jpg For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://www.evdl.org/archive/ {brucedp.neocities.org} -- Sent from: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/ _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
