Vancouver Tesla drivers get 22 new downtown supercharging stations
The stations can only charge Tesla electric vehicles, and were installed on behalf of the car company
Tesla drivers celebrated on Friday with a ribbon cutting, officially opening a set of 22 new supercharging stations in downtown Vancouver.
The stations, found in the parking lot below the Pacific Centre shopping mall were installed on behalf of Tesla, and are only capable of recharging Tesla vehicles.
According to the people behind the charging stations, the set of 22 super chargers is the largest at a single site in Canada.
Bruce Stout, director of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, was on hand with his Tesla, welcoming the new electric-charging infrastructure.
"Seeing this installation here at Pacific Centre is fantastic," said Stout. "Unfortunately the other manufacturers haven't adopted Tesla's technology, so no one else but a Tesla car can use these stations."
In 2014, the company released its patents to the public domain, but other automakers have continued to use other standards. Tesla vehicles come with adapters to allow drivers to use other charging stations.
There are currently three charging stations in the parking lot near the new ones, which will accommodate other brands.
The City of Vancouver, which leases the parkade, is supporting the project as a part of its goal to have zero-emission vehicles responsible for half of the kilometres driven in the city by 2030, and have fast-charging stations installed within a 10 minute drive anywhere in the city.
According to city officials, there are now about 250 EV chargers in Vancouver with varying degrees of public access. About 75 are owned by the City of Vancouver.