The town of Smoky Lake installs an electric vehicle charger

By Irene van der Kloet

In the discussion around energy and the use of fossil fuels, the use of electric vehicles is taking a prominent position. The Town of Smoky Lake installed an electric vehicle charger several weeks ago. The charger is in the centre of town, a strategic location for anyone wanting to visit the town as it is in the heart of the business district. Located in front of the Town office, a person can easily walk to the stores or Pumpkin Park. This will make it easier to pass the time as charging an electric car can take a fair bit of time, depending on the charging station and the amount of battery life left. Many questions still exist about electric vehicles. They don’t use fuel and are less costly to operate because they have fewer moving and wearable parts. Battery life is an essential aspect of electric vehicles, and because the market is so new, not much is known about battery life or the value of batteries. This is undoubtedly something a prospective buyer should look into, especially when buying a used EV. Some other considerations for a prospective electric vehicle buyer are what range they need to cover (currently, the number of electric vehicle stations is limited though increasing) and whether or not to install a charger at home. In Canadian weather, the battery range can drop by as much as 40-50 percent, something to keep in mind, especially when shopping for a used car. More and more electric vehicle charging stations are being built across the province, with the most northern one in High Prairie. Edmonton and Calgary have charging stations across the city and surrounding areas, as far east as Bonnyville and as far west as Banff. Currently, The most southern station is in Cardston. Whether electric vehicles will become mainstream at some point remains to be seen with the distances in our country and the amount of freight being moved on the road. The installation of more charging stations certainly would be an incentive for people to consider buying an electric vehicle or a hybrid.