It’s definitely happening – electric vehicles are on the roads and there are now spots to charge them.

In Laie over the weekend, folks on the North Shore had a chance to drive an electric car and see two of the newest charging spots in that area. One is at Laie Shopping Center, and the other is at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

The event was sponsored in part by Better Place which is a leading global provider of electric car networks and has been establishing charge spots around the island. Better Place also owns a network of battery switch stations and the public/personal charging spots, as well as a supply of batteries to power the cars.

“Better Place is proud to partner with Hawaii Reserves to make electric car charge spots available to North Shore residents and visitors,” said Brian Goldstein, director of Better Place Hawaii, in a statement issued after the event.

“The charge spots at Laie Shopping Center and Polynesian Cultural Center are part of our extensive network that is helping to make driving electric convenient and affordable, while reducing the Islands’ dependence on oil.”

Photo: Courtesy Envision Laie