Electric car enthusiast welcomes city-run charging fee proposal
Posted June 27, 2017 12:13 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You could soon be paying to charge your electric vehicle if city council approves a new pilot program in an effort to meet demand across Vancouver, as electric vehicles become more popular.
The program is made up of two initiatives; one which aims to address the lack of charging stations in Vancouver, while the other would apply hourly fees at 16 different city-owned stations.
Don Chandler, who’s a member of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, says the proposal’s receiving lots of positive feedback from enthusiasts, but adds it’s a delicate balance.
“Nobody’s saying ‘oh we should have a free lunch forever’, some are saying ‘oh we’re worried this might slow adoption’, but so will having line ups at the charge stations.”
He adds there will no doubt be an adjustment as people move to paying for something that was once free, but claims people are ready.
The city hopes hourly fees will encourage turnover at stations once a battery is fully charged as well as ensure fair access.
Proposed fees will range between two dollars an hour for a ‘regular charge’ and $16/hour, for fast charges. While this may seem expensive for some, Chandler claims it’ll still be cheaper to drive electric cars.
“In terms of hurting the pocket book, when you’re saving five or ten times what you would be paying with a gasoline car, I don’t see it as an issue at all.”
The two reports are being presented as part of the Vancouver’s Renewable City Strategy and is expected to run for two years. The RCS is in an effort to help Vancouver reach its Greenest City goal by moving away from fossil fuels by 2050.
According to a release by the city of Vancouver, the number of people using city-operated charging stations has more than doubled since 2015.
Chandler hopes to see an increase in as well as more advanced EV charging stations, and says initiatives like these prove that electric vehicles are here to stay.
“They’re in so much demand and there are so many of them out there that they’re swamping charge stations,” he says. “But the public charging, it’s about time… we’ve arrived.”
