New fast charging stations coming for Tecumseh town hall, local library

The Town of Tecumseh will be getting six fast EV charging stations, the province announced Tuesday, in a bid to "support the electrification of transportation across the province."

In an announcement, Conservative MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh Andrew Dowie said that finding a nearby charging station means "the difference between a quick stop and a time consuming detour."

"I'm proud to be delivering six new EV charging stations in Tecumseh to make life easier and more convenient for drivers," he said. 

The Level 3 fast chargers will be located, three in each location, at Tecumseh Town Hall and Tecumseh CADA Library. 

In a statement, the town's director of community and recreation services said the town is pleased to be able to offer the chargers and "looks forward to working with the Government of Ontario to determine timelines for installation and activation."

The chargers are part of the EV ChargeON program, to which the town had submitted an application in January. The program supports smaller municipalities and those outside large urban areas in getting chargers with support for between 50 and 75 per cent of the costs. 

At the time, the town wrote that it had eight Level 2 charging stations, which aren't as fast as Level 3 chargers. A focus on Level 3 chargers was recommended to support the growth of EVs and support business and tourism in the town. 

"Level 3 charging stations will improve network coverage and bridge gaps between communities in the region," town staff wrote in a council agenda at the time. 

The town partnered with EV charger provider, Jule Power, to apply for and install the chargers, with Jule as the provider. 

Staff wrote that the cost of a Level 3 charging station is about $450,000 per location. 

Level 3 chargers are the fastest of the available EV vehicle chargers, and can generally charge a vehicle in under an hour.