New condominium buildings in Vancouver may soon be required to provide charging stations for electric vehicles.
City council will vote Thursday to decide whether or not Vancouver will become the first city in Canada to make charging stations a mandatory requirement in apartment buildings under construction.
"These changes will make Vancouver a leading adopter of electric vehicle technology in North America," Mayor Gregor Robertson said in a press release.
Robertson said the initiative would bring the city one step closer to become one of the world's greenest.
"Electric vehicles are being increasingly adopted around the world, and we need to be leaders in supporting them," he said.
Currently, the city requires that one and two-family homes must have a plug-in for electric cars.
Councillors will also vote on a plan to install a number of charging stations at city-owned parking lots and on-street locations.
City councillor Andrea Reimer said the City needs to plan ahead. "The government is good at solving yesterday's problems tomorrow, so this is the government's attempt to solve tomorrow's problems today."
But some developers say now is not the time to jump on the electric car bandwagon. "If they had electric stalls in the building, the infrastructure would have to be upgraded and we just want to make sure that's not a cost we will have to pay for," said Jeff Fisher of the Urban Development Institute.
If the City gives the green light to the plan, developers will have an 18-month grace period before they have to comply.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry.
