Toronto, Ontario — Cara Clairman, president and CEO of Plug ‘n’ Drive, was recently featured in an online profile by the Toronto Star.
Clairman started Plug ‘n’ Drive in 2011, and the company serves as a not-for-profit with a mission of accelerating the deployment of electric vehicles to maximize their environmental and economic benefits.
Last October, Clairman was the recipient of Electric Mobility Canada’s 2021 Al Cormier award, which honours individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of EVs in Canada.
Clairman first ventured into the EV space in 2009 while working with Ontario Power Generation as a VP of sustainable development, where she specifically focused on ways to improve environmental performance.
“The provincial government had just started its plan to move away from coal, making Ontario’s electricity grid very low in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions,” she told the Star. “At the same time, since Ontario relies on mostly nuclear and hydro which run 24-7, we had and continue to have a surplus of that clean electricity at off-peak times. This surplus is often sold off at a loss to Quebec and New York State.”
It was then she had the idea that charging EVs at night would take hold of some of that surplus, benefitting the province economically.
Since then, Plug ‘n’ Drive has transformed into a hub of education and outreach surrounding EVs. Through its Vehicle Discovery Centre and Mobile Electric Vehicle Education Trailer (MEET), the company offers test drives, fast facts and in-depth incentive lists for potential EV customers.
Clairman says that, according to company data, 35 percent of Plug ‘n’ Drive visitors purchased an EV just six months after speaking with the company.
To read the full profile on Clairman in the Toronto Star, click here.
