Chicago prepares for EVs
Hoping for widespread electric vehicle adoption, manufacturers said they look at three factors in picking cities for rollouts: large numbers of hybrid owners - a sign electric cars will be embraced - friendly public policy and supportive utilities, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Chicago wants to prove it's plug-worthy, city officials say.
Last month, Chicago sought proposals to install $2 million worth of charging stations to be deployed throughout the city using federal and state funding.
"Since Henry Ford introduced the first mass-produced motor vehicle, it's been, 'Where can I find a gas station?' And those were pretty prevalent," Suzanne Malec-McKenna, commissioner of the city's Department of Environment, said. "This is completely different."
The Chicago metro area is the third-largest U.S. auto market, and Illinois ranks in the top 10 states for hybrid vehicle registrations, according to the Environmental Law & Policy Center, one of the entities participating in the city's Electric Vehicle Consortium.
"We need to get the right policies in place, moving forward, soon. And when I say soon, I mean get them in place over the next six months to a year," center Executive Director Howard Learner said.
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BC Hydro says province sleeping in, showering less in pandemic
VANCOUVER - The latest report on electricity usage in British Columbia reveals the COVID-19 pandemic has created an atmosphere where every day feels like a Saturday.
BC Hydro says overall power usage hasn't changed much but a survey of 500 people shows daily routines have shifted dramatically since mid-March when pandemic-related closures began.
The hydro report says, with nearly 40 per cent of B.C. residents working from home, power usage confirms almost half are sleeping in and eating breakfast later, while about a quarter say they are showering less.
Those patterns more closely resemble what hydro says is typical weekend power consumption as…
