Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup - 6/2- 6/8

Airbnb partners with ChargePoint to electrify rentals, offering hosts discounts on charging stations

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Airbnb partners with ChargePoint to electrify rentals, offering hosts discounts on charging stations

An Airbnb listing with a Kia EV charging out front (Photo: Airbnb)

Electric vehicles (EVs) are rising, and Airbnb is taking steps to ensure its rentals cater to this growing trend. The company has partnered with ChargePoint, an EV infrastructure provider, to offer hosts discounts on charging stations. This move comes as searches using Airbnb's EV charging filter skyrocketed by over 80% year-over-year. The appeal is clear: listings with EV chargers not only get booked for more nights, but they also generate higher income for hosts.

Under the new program, Airbnb hosts in the US will receive significant savings on ChargePoint's EV charging technology. Discounts include up to 36% off on the chargers and an additional US$100 (around CA$137) off on installation costs.

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Ford to transform Oakville, Ontario plant into EV manufacturing hub

Image: Ford

Ford plans to invest CAD 1.8 billion into its Oakville Assembly Complex to turn it into a "high-volume hub of electric vehicle manufacturing" in the country. The campus will be renamed Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex. The carmaker plans to retool and modernize in the second quarter of 2024 in preparation for next-generation EV production. 

This investment allows Ford to repurpose and transform its existing buildings into state-of-the-art facilities. The current 487-acre Oakville site includes three body shops, one paint building, and one assembly building. The transformed plant will feature a new 407,000 square-foot on-site battery plant that uses cells and arrays from BlueOval SK Battery Park in Kentucky. Oakville workers will take these components and assemble battery packs that will be installed in vehicles assembled on-site. This transformation will help increase Ford's global production run rate of two million EVs annually by the end of 2026.

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GM looks to train more first responders for EV emergencies in Canada, the US

Source: Chevrolet/GM

GM wants to train more first responders to handle emergencies involving electric vehicles. It plans to expand its EV First Responder Training program in Canada and the United States. The initiative's primary focus is training firefighters with the necessary knowledge about EV technologies. The automaker wants to dispel any misconceptions about handling EVs in emergencies. 

GM initially piloted the program in southeast Michigan. Participants will attend four-hour sessions, with up to two per day. It's held in various venues, like firehouses and dealerships. 

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