TORONTO, Ont. — As we move towards a Net Zero future and the electric vehicle becomes more the norm than the anomaly, it is time to ask if we are truly ready for the arrival of the EV age.
The Canadian government has mandated that all vehicle sales after 2035 be emissions-free vehicles, putting in place a finish line for the gasoline-powered engine. And even with that date more than a decade away, EV sales in Canada are surging — up 60 per cent in 2021 according to Statistics Canada. And that number will continue to rise as the major auto manufacturers expand their line of EV options, and the technology continues to improve.
But moving to the EV world is more than just putting the cars on the road. A lot of work that has to be done behind the scenes to ensure Canada is ready to fully adopt EVs and other zero-emission vehicles.
“Our entire vehicle infrastructure is designed for the internal combustion engine,” says Kevin Lisso, Chief Executive and co-founder of EnerSavings. “But the gas station and its fuel pumps as we know them are obsolete in an EV world. We have to begin thinking about what replaces the gas station, and quite literally much of that solution begins where we live, work and play.”
In a single-family house, that may simply be a matter of the homeowner ensuring they have appropriate chargers for the vehicles in their home. But it’s not that simple when you think of the thousands and thousands of people living in condominiums and apartment buildings, or in the office buildings that reach for the sky in urban downtown areas, often with underground parking garages that, to date, have been little more than holding places for vehicles.
In the EV world, they have to be much more than that.
With the clock ticking on vehicles the emit greenhouse gases, it is incumbent on building owners and facility managers to look into that electric future and ensure their properties are EV-ready.
“Staring down the prospect of having to outfit an entire parking garage with EV chargers can be daunting,” says Mr. Lisso. “It can be an expensive venture with a lot of unknowns. But EnerSavings has developed a program to plug buildings into the future, helping them increase their marketability, manage energy costs, support their tenants and support the movement towards a Net Zero future.”
The EnerSavings plan requires no capital for infrastructure, no up-front charges for an intelligent Energy Management System (EMS) that adjusts consumption based on peak usage, supports app-based controls and reporting and tracks usage so building owners and managers can maximize use and efficiency.
This maintenance-free program starts with a free energy assessment to evaluate the existing parking garage or parkade at the facility, the findings of which are presented in a custom proposal. An install plan is then created while EnerSavings secures the existing rebates that are available in that jurisdiction. Once all that is done, installation begins.
“Toxic pollution that spews from our vehicles is life-threatening and life-changing, and we all need to tackle greenhouse gas emissions together,” says Mr. Lisso. “The EV revolution may be on the highway, but it needs a lot of support to make it happen. It’s the chargers that fuel the revolution. When at work or home after their commute, the driver of an EV should rest assured their vehicle is recharging.”
About EnerSavings:
Headquartered in Toronto, EnerSavings is Canada’s leading energy management company that offers sustainable and tailored energy-saving solutions for clients in the industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-residential sectors. EnerSavings provides top-quality products and white-glove service. Its retrofits help reduce energy bills by up to 75 per cent while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. To find out how EnerSavings can help your business be more sustainable, please email info@enersavings.com or call 1-800 874 3470.
For more information, please visit enersavings.com or connect with EnerSavings on LinkedIn at /EnerSavings-inc, Twitter @EnerSavingsInc, Facebook at /EnersavingsInc and Instagram @EnerSavingsInc.
