Did you know that the Trans Canada Highway is now fully electric vehicle (EV)-friendly? The 80,030 km route, which runs from British Columbia to Newfoundland, taking in all ten provinces, now has enough charging stations for an electric vehicle to travel all the way across the country, making it officially the longest green highway in the world.
The feat was made possible thanks to the work of Sun Country Highway (SCH), an innovative Canadian company that has been working in partnership with various businesses across the country to install free charging stations.
For students in service advisor training, the growing number of EV facilities could have an impact on their career, with an increased demand for repair facilities to offer a more diverse range of services as more and more drivers switch to electric vehicles.
Who is Sun Country Highway? An Intro for Students in Service Advisor Training
Sun Country Highway was founded by entrepreneur Kent Rathwell with the aim of creating an efficient infrastructure for electric vehicle adoption in Canada. The company developed their own customized charging station which was capable of providing power to any EV on the road, and set about seeking businesses in strategic locations.
Since SCH asked businesses to fund the installation of the charging stations themselves, convincing owners wasn’t easy. Luckily, they managed to persuade enough people to make the Trans Canada Highway fully green in 2012, and have since moved the project into other parts of the country, as well as some areas of the United States. Students in service advisor training will be impressed to learn that nearly 80 per cent of Canadian roads are now EV-friendly, thanks in no small part to Sun Country Highway’s efforts.
How Service Advisors Can Put Their Business on the Green Highway Map
A lot of the success of Sun Country Highway’s project depended on convincing businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls to install the free charging stations in the hope of attracting extra business.
The idea could also present some interesting opportunities for garages, who could directly benefit from the project more than most. An automotive service advisor could install the charging stations on their premises to bring more EV users to their facility, and offer a range of specialised services and accessories for electronic vehicles to dramatically increase their chances of attracting new customers.
The Growth of EVs in Canada and Your Service Advisor Career
The massive strides organizations like Sun Country Highway are making towards providing Canada with a functional EV infrastructure is just one of the factors contributing to the growth of electric vehicles in this country.
Government rebates, increased environmental concern, and the introduction of a wider range of competitively priced EVs—such as the Nissan Leaf and The Tesla Model 3—have all made moving away from gas powered vehicles more attractive than before.
With sales of plug-in electric cars officially passing the 20,000 mark for the first time in May this year, the movement shows no signs of slowing down. Aspiring service advisors would be wise to keep up with the latest developments in order to ensure they are knowledgeable about the specific needs of EV customers once they begin their career.
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