Councillor urges city to plug in to federal funds for electric-vehicle chargers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/05/2017 (3111 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Civic officials appear ready to support a proposal to install several fast-charging stations for electric vehicles across the city.

At its meeting Tuesday, council’s public works committee directed the administration to “explore all external funding sources” to finance the installation of five fast-charging stations.

“Times likes this is where government needs to step in and lead,” said Coun. Russ Wyatt, who wants city hall to install fast-charging stations in strategic locations and use federal funds to offset the cost. “It would be a lost opportunity for the city not to take this funding package that’s coming from Ottawa and implement (charging stations) where we can throughout the city.”

Ottawa announced a year ago that it would provide $16.4 million for 70 fast-charging stations and six natural gas and two hydrogen refuelling stations, covering 50 per cent of the project costs.

Wyatt (Transcona) told the committee that while electric vehicles hold the potential to help reduce the citywide carbon footprint, the lack of charging stations is hampering the sale of the vehicles, and the city can effect change.

Wyatt appeared at the committee accompanied by Robert Elms, president of the local electric vehicle owners association, and Larry Vickar, owner of a chain of local auto dealerships.

Elms said the cost of installing fast-charging stations is between $30,000 and $40,000 per unit, adding that government subsidies are necessary to help the domestic electric vehicle industry thrive.

“That’s the game,” he said. “We have to play that game and we have to play it to win.”

Elms said there are more than 100 registered electric vehicles on Manitoba roads and another 5,000 hybrid vehicles, some of which can be plugged in to run short distances on electricity only. He said those owners have installed their own charging stations at home and suggested the city needs charging stations on its periphery, where vehicle owners could charge up when they arrive here and before they leave.

Vickar, who owns a chain of auto dealerships in the city, told the committee that having a national network of charging stations is essential for the “propagation” of electric vehicles and he said Winnipeg should get involved.

Vickar said he keeps an electric vehicle at an unnamed vacation spot in the U.S., where the national network of stations which facilitates the popularity and sale of electric vehicles.

“I’m a purveyor of the internal combustion engine but the future is here today and the fact is, any effort by city hall to further this is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Coun. Marty Morantz, chairman of the public works committee, said the presentation by Wyatt, Elms and Vickar was “very compelling,” but said the city needs to carefully plan any such move, examining the financial implications and exploring all available funding sources.

“I am very much in favour of the intent (of Wyatt’s plan),” Morantz (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge) said. “I think it’s a great idea. I think electric charging stations is something the city needs to address.”

Morantz said it would be preferable for the auto industry to install charging stations, but he said it’s possible city hall could be a partner.

“To the extent that we can be involved in moving forward in environmentally sustainable practices, I think electric vehicle charging stations fall four-square into that type of initiative,” he said.

At Morantz’s suggestion, the committee said developing a plan for the installation of the stations would be better handled by council’s innovation committee, which has access to a special $1-million fund.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca