Surrey BC gets ahead of the game by installing charging stations for electric cars

Surrey Electric Car Station

The Surrey museum in Surrey BC has an electric car charging station that charges your electric car in about 30 minutes.

Surrey is the first city in BC to have two fast charging stations, one at the Surrey museum and one at Powertech, a BC Hydro subsidiary. I am surprised that we can charge an electric car faster than mobile phones. Just think, where would we be if “big oil” hadn’t abolished the electric car 20 years ago?

Surrey also requires gas stations to provide alternative fuel service at all new gas stations built. I’m not in favor of the government controlling everything in our lives, but when it comes to these big industries (oil), I think there needs to be some kind of regulation for our protection. If it depended on “big oil” we would be consuming even more than we are now.

Lately there has been a lot of talk about sustainability; It’s nice to see some action. I attended the Langley Economic Forum last month and keynote speaker Don Burden (Director of Innovation and Inspiration, Wable and Livable Communities Institute) gave a great speech on sustainability and community awareness. He spoke of neighborhoods being built around pedestrians and bicyclists, not larger roads for automobiles. A Community where our children can walk to school comfortably and safely, and play in the park instead of facing a screen.

I like this idea, it’s funny, it reminds me a bit of my childhood. Although in my day (okay, I’m officially “old”) this wasn’t a groundbreaking idea, it was just “life.” We walk to school, play outside, just watch a show on TV, get dirty and use our imaginations. When did “being a kid” get so complicated? More cars, more phones, more computers, and more televisions are not as good as the ads claim.

Sorry I got a bit of a rant there.

It’s hard to miss the news about the crazy typhoon that devastated the Philippines last week. I watched in horror as families and homes were destroyed and wonder if it could have been different. Our climate is changing before our very eyes; It is time for us to change too.

Getting hit by a 100 year storm every year is not the future I want for my grandchildren.

We need more participation in alternative fuel innovation. My flex fuel car isn’t cutting it. Our addiction to oil is not enough.

I believe Surrey is on the right track with all the improvements to Surrey Center City and its shift to alternative fuel services. No wonder they are the #1 real estate investment community.