Summerside looks to add 25 electric-vehicle charging stations

The City of Summerside wants to add more electric car chargers to the city and is partnering with several other Maritime municipalities to make it happen.

The city is applying for funding with National Resources Canada's Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which provides funding for charging stations in public areas.

Currently Summerside has 30 chargers in the city — this program would allow the city to add 25 more, something staff say is important as the needs of consumers change. 

The proposal outlines several possible sites where chargers could be installed, such as municipal parking lots, Credit Union Place and the County Fair Mall. 

"The world of transportation is definitely going toward lower carbon alternatives and this national program from NR Canada is a pretty aggressive initiative to try to raise the bar within a coast-to-coast-to-coast type of network of chargers," said Bob Ashley, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Summerside. 

"It's a concern for anyone that … either owns an electric vehicle or wants to get one."

7 municipalities involved

Summerside is partnering with six other municipalities across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that also own their own utilities.

Together, the municipalities would be expected to cover 50 per cent of the funding for the charging stations — Summerside's cost would be $117,750.

The cost of charging will be put onto the customer, with the typical cost being estimated at $3-$5 per hour, said Ashley.

"I think the Island is ideally suited for this type of thing because, especially, travel between the two centres is well within the range for electric vehicles on a single charge so that takes in quite a large part of the population."

To apply for the funding, each municipality has to vote on sending in the application, Summerside will do that at its September meeting.

Ashley hopes to hear if the application is accepted within a few months. 

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