As demand for electric vehicles grows, new voting results show more Tesla Supercharger stations are sought for Vancouver Island.
On Thursday, Tesla launched its online supercharger voting platform, allowing the public to help decide where the next batch of chargers will be installed, according to the company.
A trio of Island locations including Port Alberni, Courtenay, and the Pacific Rim Highway leading to Ucluelet and Tofino have received more than 870, 950 and 1,350 votes, respectively, as of Monday morning.
Though tabulated on a global scale, platform users can also view North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East-specific results.
Across North America, the Pacific Rim Highway has claimed the 17th spot on the leaderboard behind Portland, Oregon, while Courtenay currently sits 45th, seven spots ahead of Port Alberni ranking 52nd out of 100.
With more than 35,000 Superchargers around the world, Tesla “owns and operates the largest global, fast-charging network in the world,” the company says on its website.
“Located on major routes near convenient amenities, Superchargers keep you charged when you’re away from home. Simply plug in, charge and go,” Telsa says, noting the technology can add up to 200 miles of range in about 15 minutes to its model S, X, 3 and Y vehicles.
In April, a survey by the Victoria Electric Vehicle Association found there were 70 per cent more electric vehicles on local roads than last year and according to one professor, the demand likely won’t dim anytime soon.
“I think more and more people are keen to switch to electric now, and it’s just the beginning,” Dr. Pascal Courty, an economics professor at the University of Victoria, told CHEK News in May.
Courty said consumers were seeing value in the EV market, especially as gas prices climbed — later hitting a record-breaking 239.9 cents per litre at some stations in the capital region in September.
Telsa says EVs are less expensive to fuel than gasoline-powered vehicles, with its customers expected to save $6,600 over six years when switching to electric.
Its existing Superchargers on the Island can be found at Uptown Shopping Centre in Victoria and also at Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo, where eight chargers were installed back in 2017.
People can vote for new Supercharger locations here.
Vote for new Supercharger locations → https://t.co/bjNaL3DErN
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 20, 2022
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Ethan Morneau
