We were in a sun-filled cafe called Sobo on the northern tip of Vancouver Island in Tofino when a gentleman came up to us and asked “is that your car out there” and wondered if electric cars were feasible on the island.
We were actually a little worried that we would have difficulty finding places to charge on our week-long Vancouver Island adventure but we made it from Seattle and back in a Tesla electric vehicle without breaking down or having to call for help.
Our favorite electric charging station on Vancouver Island ended up being one on Quallicum Beach and it was about a 2 hour drive from Tofino. We made sure we charged up at the Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet where we were staying and we made the drive with ample electricity. We heard that the tide goes out forever in Quallicum Beach and we thought it would be a great place for the kids to explore while we made sure the car had enough energy for our drive back up to Seattle. (We were heading back via the Nanaimo to Tsawwassen Ferry and were planning on a stop at the supercharger in Burlington too!)
The charger was right beside a bathroom (a big perk when traveling with kids) and literally right on the beach. The only downside was that we misjudged the tide schedule and we were there during the highest tide.
Thankfully we had our Seahawk stowed in the ‘frunk‘ of the car.
We donned our life jackets and took the time to sail around while the car got its charge on.
It almost didn’t matter that the tide wasn’t out.
Except now I’m determined to come back and see it.
I do hope we come back one day. And at least now we know where to find a perfect place to charge.
(PS. while we were here we ate at Radius Food Co a restaurant that specializes in locally sourced food but I was also tempted to eat at the cafe on the beach. It had french fries and sandwiches and even screamers-a slush and soft-serve treat that I’ve only enjoyed north of the 49th parallel.)
(PPS if you want to read more about our Vancouver Island adventures I’ve also written it up on Trekaroo, a fabulous website for parents who travel with their kids.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)