Toronto, Ontario — This week, Volkswagen offers ID.4 owners a stellar deal, Tesla switches gears and announces the creation of a humanoid robot and Canada gets a new EV network.
Three for Free
Starting from the date of purchase, 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 owners will be able to charge their car for free for three years at Electrify stations across Canada.
“As Electrify Canada continues to expand its network across Canada and makes fast-charging more accessible, it’s even easier for consumers to make the transition to an EV,” says Robert Barrosa, senior director of sales, business development and marketing at Electrify Canada. “Collaborating with Volkswagen Canada to offer complimentary charging can enhance the EV ownership experience, helping us move towards our goal to make electric mobility a viable solution for all.”
The news comes just weeks after Electrify Canada announced plans to expand its network of ultra-fast chargers from 27 stations with 108 chargers to more than 100 charging stations comprising over 500 individual chargers across Canada by the end of 2025. The expansion also builds the network coverage from four to nine provinces, facilitating travel from Halifax, Nova Scotia in the east to Victoria, British Columbia in the west.
“The new ID.4 is designed and engineered to inspire consumers to make the switch to electric by offering all the strengths of a purpose-built SUV, with performance, packaging and value,” says Pierre Boutin, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group Canada. “This collaboration with Electrify Canada allows us to enhance the overall customer experience, by offering complimentary, seamless fast-charging for their first three years of ownership.”
To learn more about Electrify Canada, locate a charging station or view upcoming locations, visit https://www.electrify-canada.ca/locate-charger.
Robot Redemption
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Thursday at Tesla’s AI Day that the company is making a humanoid robot. Adding that the prototype should be ready by next year.
“It’s basically going to start dealing with work that is boring, repetitive and dangerous,” Musk said while describing theTSLA robot.
Musk said the robot will stand at 5 feet 8 inches, weigh 125 pounds, and will be able to carry 45 pounds. The robot will also be fashioned with a human-like face, which will display information.
“Can you talk to it and say, ‘please pick up that bolt and attach it to a car with that wrench,’ and it should be able to do that,” Musk said. “‘Please go to the store and get me the following groceries.’ That kind of thing. I think we can do that.”
At the event he did not disclose the price of the robot. However, he did mention it will have a “profound” impact on the economy.
ERTH Energy
Chris White, president & CEO of ERTH Corporation, announced Tuesday the completion of the ERTH Energy Community EV Network, a network of 24 publicly accessible level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers connecting ERTH’s 15 service communities that stretch from Lake Erie to Lake Huron.
Using its knowledge of the local electricity grid and leveraging relationships with municipal shareholders, ERTH is deploying a network of EV chargers in locations that make sense for both EV drivers and the electricity system. The new EV chargers are located at twelve locations in eight communities and will provide residents with more options to charge their vehicles where they live, work and play.
Federal funding for 21 of the EV chargers is provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), which supports the government’s ambitious target to have all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada be zero-emission by 2035. The funding provided to ERTH is intended to support charging in more localized areas, such as on street and in other areas intended for public use. The new charging locations include a mix of on-street locations (Aylmer, Goderich, Tavistock and Mitchell) and public parking lots located at arenas, tourism information centres, beaches and in downtown cores (Aylmer, Port Stanley, Goderich, Belmont, Norwich and Clinton). The infrastructure resulting from these investments will ensure that people can charge their vehicles reliably and safely in these communities.
Electricity to the chargers will be provided by the local electricity distributor, ERTH Power Corporation – Your Hometown Utility. The chargers are pay-for-use and EV drivers will pay a competitive market rate to charge their vehicles, which is currently $1.50 per hour of charging.
