Charging the electric car: a mission impossible
Canadians have nowhere to charge their green vehicles.
Canada encourages the population to switch to electric cars in every way possible. It is expected that soon it will be cheaper to use them than conventional cars. Gasoline prices are rising because of the carbon tax, and from July 1 the new Clean Fuels Act will also come under pressure.
However, it's not that simple. Canadians who have switched to environmentally friendly transport have found that there is simply nowhere to charge it. There are special charging stations for electric cars in the city, but there are long lines. Many condominiums and apartment buildings simply do not have such stations. They should be located in garages, but landlords have been slow to support government initiatives. It is expensive to install such a station — it would cost the property owner CAD 5,000-10,000.
Even in big cities like Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, there are problems with charging. City governments are asking for more charging stations before the rest of the country uses them. Even now, there is a crippling lack of stations.
The charging devices in such stations are separated by operating time and price. The faster the car is charged, the more expensive the device is. A Level 1 device needs 30 hours to fully charge a car. It doesn't make sense to install them in public places. Canadians only buy them for personal use. Level 2 devices can do it in 6 hours, but even that is too slow. Level 3 devices are the best option, they can charge a car from 0% to 100% in an hour. But they will cost Canadians CAD 20 per hour.
Currently, there is no law that obliges owners of apartment buildings or condominiums to install charging stations for electric cars. They only do so if they wish to do so. Some green vehicle owners agree to pay for the installation of the station together, but this is not possible everywhere. There are homes where the charter divides the cost of the improvements equally among all tenants. Most people have regular cars, so they don't want to chip in for stations.
Experts say homeowners should take advantage of federal and provincial programs that help pay for up to 100% of the installation of electric vehicle stations. This way they can save money and make their properties more attractive to electric car owners. Almost all Canadians will switch to it by 2030, so it's an investment in the future.
