Last Friday's meeting, February 2, President Mohan began with a recognition of the start of Black History Month. It is up to all of us, as Rotarians and Canadians, to take the time to read about Black history in Canada, as well as current Black accomplishments and initiatives. There is a great article done by the CBC about a Guelph Black business owner, Kayla Gerber, and her perspective on the month: 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/black-vacation-week-guelph-history-month-1.7104226 

 

It's a quick but highly informative read! One of the key takeaways being that it is great to support Black History month, but that you can and should learn about Black heritage not just in February, but throughout the year. 

 

After President Nanita's announcement, the results of the Board of Directors election were reported. Dianne Dance, Crista Renner, Marva Wisdom, Lawrie Jones, Matt Webster, and Marty Fairbairn, have been elected to the Board of Directors. We thank all 13 candidates who stood for the election. Having such a strong turn out makes our elections more competitive and robust. 

 

Randy Wilson then provided an update on the storage cleaning. He and Kerry brought all the Rotary beer glasses and coasters to give out to whoever wanted them. Initially, Randy was giving them out for free, but everyone decided that we should pay to take them. Faz ended up buying all the beer glasses and coasters that no one else bought and is placing them in his storage. Thank you Faz! 

 

Shelley Adlington, from the Rotary Club of Guelph South made an announcement about their Pasta Dinner Night. If you're interested or want to buy tickets, please read the story below. It would be great to have a group of us support their event!

 

After lunch, our speaker, John Watson, began his presentation. John is a passionate advocate for renewable energy and electric vehicles, dedicating his career to promoting sustainability and innovation. His presentation focused on his experience with electric vehicles, their history, myths, and next steps for those who are interested.

 

John and his Wife Jane bought their first electric vehicle, a Tesla, in the early 2010s. He and his wife have put over 210,000 kilometers on their car, highlighting its durability and reliability. John shared stories of their electric vehicle adventures, including their trips all over Canada and the United States. 

John then went into the history of electric cars. 
He explained that the first electric vehicle, an electric carriage, was created in 1832, in Scotland, by Robert Anderson. It was powered by a crude oil battery.

 

The development of rechargeable batteries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to an explosion in the production of electric cars, with Henry Ford's company being one of the most notable examples.

However, the production of electric vehicles declined sharply when Henry Ford invented the moving assembly line to mass-produce gasoline-powered cars, making them 1/3 the price. Electric vehicles, in effect, were priced out. 
   
 John then discussed a funny and important example of electric vehicles coming to prominence again. A-ha, a Norwegian band, that became highly successful globally in 1984 with their hit song, "Take on Me", became huge advocates for electric vehicles. The band, by racking up tickets on their electric vehicle were eventually able to get the Norwegian government to give tax breaks, free parking, and the use of bus lanes for electric vehicle owners. Now, Norway is one of the leaders in electric vehicles. 
  

John then discussed the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" which highlights the story of GM's compliance car program in California, where they produced several hundred electric cars but refused to sell them and instead leased them to celebrities.

 

John then moved on to Tesla's impact on the automotive industry, highlighting the company's innovative designs and affordable prices that have disrupted the market. John praised the Model 3 as the first "affordable-ish" electric car that made electric vehicles accessible to a wider range of people, causing concern among established car manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes, and Audi.
 

John then discussed the basics of electric cars, including the placement of batteries and the use of regenerative braking to recharge the battery.

 

This was followed with a discussion of charging options, including home charging with a 110-volt outlet and public charging with a faster charger. Charging stations can be found with the app Plugshare, an app that shows the location of electric vehicle charging stations, including level 2 and level 3 chargers. John highlighted the convenience of the app stating that it's like having a "Tesla stop" wherever you go, and you can add 300 kilometers of range in 20 minutes.
 

John then compared the cost of owning an electric car (Ford Escape) to a gas-powered car (Hyundai and Volvo), revealing that the electric car is cheaper to run despite being more expensive upfront.
 

There are also numerous environmental benefits of electric cars, including reduced carbon emissions and improved air quality, and notes that the federal government offers incentives for purchasing electric vehicles.

John concluded his presentation by discussing the safety benefits of electric vehicles, citing their lack of motor and gas tank, making them less likely to crash or catch fire. A lively conversation followed about hydrogen powered cars, the Chinese market, and future initiatives. 
 

Matt Webster thanked John for his informative presentation and presented him with the speaker certificate. 

 

Notes taken by AI, edited and reformatted by Aidan Harris.