Even though gas stations line the highway through Golden, there is only one place in town to refuel an electric vehicle.
This past year, Sun Country Highways, a company that provides electric vehicle infrastructure, along with the Province of BC (as part of their Clean Energy Vehicle Program), started installing charging stations along major highway networks.
Home Hardware was chosen as the charging station in Golden, and is currently the only Home Hardware in the country with a station. They offer charge-ups for free.
On Sept. 26, a Salt Spring Island man on a road trip stopped by the store to charge his vehicle. Vincent Argiro is the first person in British Columbia, and the 47th person in Canada, to own a Tesla Roadster.
He sat in his two-seater car, passing the time on his iPad, while he powered up his roadster to about half charge. That was more than enough to get him to Canmore, where he said he would top it up a bit to get to Calgary. To charge his car up completely would have taken about three hours, and would have provided enough power to drive for 400 kilometres.
Less costly electric vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt, can travel about 120 km fully charged.
Before this network of charging stations, there was no way for electric vehicle owners to take road trips throughout the province, and the country.
Tesla is coming out with a more family friendly vehicle, the Model S four-door sedan. Argiro expects to be the first in B.C., and the second person in Canada, to own the model.
