A call for more electric vehicle charging stations in northwestern Ontario.
It was one of the issues raised at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference held in Fort Frances.
Manitouwage Councillor Jim Moffatt drove to the meeting in his electrified Ford Mustang and stopped in Atikokan for a recharge.
He says stations in place aren’t as fast as advertised.
“I can honestly tell you it’s not 30 minutes at the Ivy chargers in Atikokan. It’s an hour and 10 minutes, and there is definitely not enough chargers in the area,” says Moffatt.
Hydro One has been working to add fast-charging units as the the demand for electric vehicles increases.
The chargers are already up and running in Dryden, Fort Frances, Atikokan, Upsala, Thunder Bay and Greenstone.
Vice president of Stakeholder Relations Daniel Levitan says they’re trying to dispel the myth that electric vehicle are only for more populated areas.
“And one of the most important ways of doing that is making sure the infrastructure is there so that people appreciate that electric vehicles are not just urban or southern Ontario. They’re available for everyone, and the infrastructure is there to support that,” says Levitan.
Levitan says they are preparing to expand to include stations in Kenora and Terrace Bay.
He says they are also open to having more if communities are interested but stresses it will take time to implement.
