This morning, Mayor Barb Desjardins officially opened the electric vehicle (EV) charging station at Municipal Hall in Esquimalt. Residents and visitors will now be able to plug in their electric vehicle while visiting Esquimalt’s core area.
“Our Official Community Plan includes the goal to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by at least 38% by 2020 and 83% by 2050, compared to 2007 levels,” said Mayor Desjardins. “This charging station reflects our commitment to meet this goal.”
The station is located at the parking lot shared by Municipal Hall and the Esquimalt Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library. It features two charging cords and a dedicated parking space with signage.
The Township received funding through the provincial Community Charging Infrastructure (CCI) Fund to cover a portion of the cost of installing the Level 2 EV charging station. The goal of the CCI Fund is to install 570 such stations across BC. The balance of the project cost was paid through Esquimalt’s Sustainability Reserve Fund.
While 90% of EV charging is expected to take place at home, public EV charging will play an important role in decreasing “range anxiety” — fear of running out of charge while on the road—on days when multiple trips are completed or when traveling out of town.
It is anticipated that there will be 84 charging stations in the Capital Region by the spring of 2013. There are currently 14 commercially available models of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles on the market. It is estimated that by 2030 there will be one million electric vehicles on BC’s roads.
For the first year, use of the station will be complimentary, but convenience fees may be collected in the future as the demand for the service increases.
For more information, please visit the website or contact:
Marlene Lagoa, Sustainability Coordinator
Tel: 250-414-7114