Number of electric vehicle charging stations in Thunder Bay to triple over the next year
CBC
Federal dollars are powering an expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure that will lead to a tripling of the number of charging stations in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The funding, amounting to $500,000, was announced on Friday and will create 92 new stations in the Thunder Bay area to be installed by March 2023.
Eric Zakrewski, the chief executive officer of the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission, said the total number of available stations in the city will increase to nearly 150.
"The really neat thing about this is it's going to be a lot of public spaces," he said. "From the university to medical clinics to small businesses, restaurants, as well as auto dealerships themselves that are going to be selling these products."
Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu, who announced the funding, said access to charging stations is essential for people to buy electric vehicles.
"Although there are some charging ports, it is important that people have it in their places of work at home, all kinds of places where they can plug in and recharge," Hajdu said.
"This project hopefully will give people in Thunder Bay the confidence that if they purchase the vehicle, there'll be lots of options for them."
The community economic development commission will administer the funding and locations are selected through a bidding process where applications are ranked and assessed for value for residents.
Zakrewski said that process takes into account a number of different factors, and balances public and private spaces.
"We wanted to make sure that there will be accessibility for residents as they consider electric vehicles and certainly high-density urban dwellings or multi-residential units are a great location," he said.
"Some of these apartment buildings may have 40 or 50 tenants or units. For them to get, say, two or three charging stations now, it allows the owners of those buildings to be more progressive in marketing to future tenants."
Zakrewski said the economic development commission will produce a map showing charging station coverage in the city.
Warren Mabee, the director of the Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy, said the expansion of charging stations is very significant for people living in Thunder Bay.
The increased access may lead some people who were on the fence about buying a vehicle to go ahead and do so, he said, but added there will still be people who will be hesitant because they have to drive beyond the coverage area of charging stations.
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