Bedford Driving Lessons

All new buildings to be wired with chargers ahead of release of new vehicle models marketed to middle-class families. San Francisco has adopted building codes requiring all new homes and offices to be wired for electric car chargers, in an attempt to position itself as America’s green car capital. The move comes in advance of the release this year of the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, which promise to deliver driving distances of 40 miles or more on a single battery charge and are being marketed to middle-class families. Local authorities are launching a lending scheme next month to encourage homeowners to install their own charging stations. “If you want to put an electric charging station in your home in anticipation of all these electric vehicles, you can do it through this green financing programme,” said San Francisco’s mayor, Gavin Newsom. Newsom bought his own electric car a decade ago, and car charging stations were installed outside city hall last year. The move further solidifies California’s reputation as America’s greenest state. Over the past 30 years it has led the country in putting limits on vehicle emissions, and imposing higher efficiency standards for homes and appliances such as flatscreen TVs. Few people are predicting widespread adoption of electric cars by Americans – at least in the immediate future. But the launch of the electric vehicles is also concentrating minds in other cities, such as Houston, San Diego and Portland, Oregon, which are expected to lead demand for the new technology. More