The Okanagan’s only car sharing cooperative has added its first electric vehicle to its growing fleet.

OGO Car Share said it added the new Nissan Leaf to its fleet this week and it will be located in downtown Kelowna in front of the Okanagan Heritage Museum. The new addition brings OGO’s existing fleet to nine vehicles. Popularity for the service has grown year over year and the organization now has 250 members.

“The Leaf is the first electric car in the fleet, which currently consists of passenger vehicles, as well as a pick-up truck for heavier loads. It is a fully electric car, meaning it does not use any gasoline and therefore helps reduce local air pollution,” said OGO in a statement.

Photo Credit: OGO Car Share

According to OGO, the acquisition of the Leaf was made possible through a collaborative partnership between the organization, the City of Kelowna and Fortis BC.

“The addition of the electric car comes on the heels of a gas shortage that has taken some Western communities by surprise. Many gas stations in Kelowna are experiencing shortages of fuel linked to the fires in Fort McMurray. The crisis highlights the necessity of forward-thinking alternatives to fuel-powered vehicles so that, in unexpected circumstances in the future, these types of crises will not have hugely negative impacts on entire communities,” continued the statement.

OGO is a community owned car share program and was launched in Kelowna in 2012.