ARE THERE ENOUGH ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS?

NOT ONLY DO WE NEED MORE CHARGING STATIONS THROUGHOUT CANADA, WE NEED TO HAVE A QUICK, EASY AND CONVENIENT WAY TO USE THEM, WRITES TRICIA CLARKSON

The most common reason that drivers are reluctant to buy an electric vehicle (EV) is because of range anxiety—the fear that the battery power will run out before they reach a charging port.

So when will there be enough convenient charging ports to eliminate this fear?

"There are a total of 24 ports (16 at municipal facilities for a future fleet and 8 for public use) and they are all operational," says Michael Papadacos, Asset Management and Capital Planning Division for the City of Peterborough.

There are currently 20,000 publicly available charging stations across Canada—1,700 in Ontario and the federal government recently announced that 34,500 new charging stations will be installed across Canada by 2027. However, in Ontario, the

Ford government has also been ripping them out.

In 2019, Premier Doug Ford removed 24 charging ports from transit lots and parking areas at 12 GO train stations in the GTA.

"This move sucks for people considering buying an EV, and also for the environment and it's going to suck again when we need to pay again for what Ford is tearing down. Instead of burning public money to rip out charging stations, we should be investing in them." said Toronto MPP Peter Tabuns.

An EV charging port was also removed from Tim Horton's on Water Street in Peterborough, although it's listed at that location online. When I asked a Tim Horton's employee why it wasn't there, she said, "I think the Ford Government removed it." This has yet to be verified.

Last summer, I had the unfortunate experience of range anxiety on my way to our Coon Lake rental cottage near Burleigh Falls. I usually fully charge my 2015 Nissan Leaf at the Level 2 charging station at the Lakefield Hotel to ensure I make it to the cottage and back. I just hold my credit card number in front of the charging port screen and it allows me to fully charge my EV. For $1.50. However, the port has now been changed so that it requires users to have a Flo App on their phone to use it. I had no internet on my phone therefore no Flo App, so I had no choice but to drive back home to Peterborough, charge my EV in my garage overnight and not go to the cottage until the next day.

Unless everyone has a Flo App on their phone, they can't access EV charging ports. The Flo App could make it difficult for technically-challenged people to locate charging ports and also use the charging port with the Flo App. Many seniors (who are currently the most likely demographic to own EVs) may not be able to easily figure this new system out.

So not only do we need more charging stations throughout Canada, we need to have a quick, easy and convenient way to use them. If two charging ports (Level 2 and 3) were located at gas stations, then EV drivers would be able to find them easily, pay to use them on their credit card and then quickly get back on the road. Gas stations are conveniently located close to restaurants, grocery stores and other amenities so EV drivers could use restrooms, shop, eat or go for coffee while they charge up their EV. Having charging ports at gas stations would also help bolster the economy.

If you think that EV chargers should be located at gas stations throughout Canada, please email PM Trudeau, Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault, MP Michelle Ferreri, MPP Dave Smith and Premier Ford and ask them to provide EV charging ports at gas stations. All of the oil and gas corporations should provide funding for this because they are the reason that we have air pollution, toxic C02 emissions, global warming and climate change. We need to make the transition to an EV as EZ as possible.