This is What the Future of All-Electric Recreation in the Kootenays Looks Like

On a beautiful October fall day, KORE Outdoors, in collaboration with Watershed Productions captured a great “all-electric” recreation experience in and around Kimberley, British Columbia.

Mountain bikers Alex Ibbotson and Jenny Bateman took a Tesla from Kootenay EV Family to the classic Sunflower Hill trail in the Kimberley Nature Park and then jumped on e-bikes courtesy of Black Dog Cycle & Ski. There were a variety of chargers used including a mobile one by Community Energy Association. Below is the video.

Given the number of electric bicycles, electric cars, and other electric recreational vehicles that are currently being produced, such as Quebec company Taiga Motors’ all-electric snowmobile, it’s obvious the future of travel is electric. But how are we going to charge all these things?

Companies such as Petro-Canada have been installing fast chargers at their existing stations across the country on Highway 1 for example. But what about areas that are off the main travel corridors? There are a few different solutions portrayed in the video above. For example, at the outset the two bikers walk through Kimberley’s Platzl and get in a Tesla that’s been charging at a nearby station. Then they get to the trailhead where there’s a VOLTstack mobile charging unit developed by Vancouver company Teck Resources. Currently it’s the largest mobile electric vehicle charger in the country and can be recharged through solar generation or household power. It’s multiple array of charging ports allow users to charge everything from their cars to their bikes to their phones. More information about these units can be found at portable-electric.com.

Megan Lohmann is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Community Energy Association and she’s based in Fernie, BC. She’s currently helping install publicly-accessible charging infrastructure in the Kootenays and in a recent article that appeared in Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine, she was quoted as saying, “It’s easier in cities where you’ll find a density of vehicles to justify expenditures…because electric charging stations are expensive we’re taking a two-pronged approach involving public and private sectors to help remove financial barriers for those who want the amenity available.” In the story, Lohmann confirmed she’s received a $1-million government grant that she’ll be using to help roll out a program to install at least 10 charging stations at appropriate private locations in the region. “We’re looking at things like malls or tourism organizations—as long as they’re accessible 24/7,” she said in the article.

KORE would like to thank the following for helping make the above video possible: Watershed Productions; Emotive Tourism Kimberley; Kimberley Riverside Campground; Snowdrift Cafe; Teck’s Portable Electric; Black Dog Cycle & Ski; the Kootenay EV family; and Alex Ibbotson and Jenny Bateman.