Climate Change Co-ordinator Brittany Cormier
NB Power is seeking permission to install three fast 100kw electric vehicle chargers at the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) near TransCanada Hwy exit 504.
Brittany Cormier, Tantramar’s Climate Change Co-ordinator told town council on Monday that NB Power is seeking to expand its network of EV chargers and has identified the VIC as a high value location because of its proximity to the highway between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
“The existing direct current fast chargers (DCFCs) are in high demand resulting in frequent line-ups during peak times,” she said, adding that the NB Power fast charger at the Irving Big Stop in Aulac is among the most heavily used with motorists there waiting up to three hours during peak times to use it.
Cormier said NB Power also wants to supplement its slower, level 2 charger at the VIC with these level 3s.
She explained later that charging times vary depending on the vehicle, but charging takes from 20 minutes to an hour with level 3s, while the level 2s can take from four to six hours.
Level 2s, however, are still useful because they can charge batteries in hybrid vehicles that often can’t use level 3s.
Cormier said that NB Power would install the fast chargers at no cost to the town although Tantramar would be responsible for keeping them clear of snow in winter.
(Council was told that the town already plows the VIC parking lot.)
The new, fast chargers are tentatively scheduled to arrive in August with installation in September.
100kw EV charger and the one at the Big Stop in Aulac. Photos: Town of Tantramar
Cormier said NB Power is considering adding up to two more fast chargers, possibly in the downtown parking lot between Goya’s Pizza and the Post Office where the town is installing its own level 3 charger this spring.
For the moment though, NB Power’s strategic priority is to focus on installing them near highways, she said.
NB Power charges fast charger users $15 per hour billed by the minute. It says that “total costs are determined based on the total time connected to the station, not the duration of the charge or the total energy transfer.”
Council will be asked to approve the agreement to install the three fast chargers at its next regular meeting on May 9th.
Meantime, the CBC’s Robert Jones reported today that although EVs accounted for only 1.7% of new vehicle registrations in New Brunswick last year, the 571 registered were more than the previous five years combined.
According to the CBC, the province projects that EVs will account for half of new vehicle registrations by 2030.
Jones quotes Julia Kent of the Canadian Automobile Association’s Atlantic Division who worries that the network of EV charging stations isn’t big enough to meet demand.
“We see this as a huge problem in Atlantic Canada,” Kent told CBC. “For the number of EVs on the road today, public charging across Atlantic Canada isn’t up to where it needs to be.”
Meantime, the New Brunswick government is offering a range of rebates on new and used EVs, hybrids and, on home charging stations.
For a previous story on the debate over the EV charger in downtown Sackville, click here.
Yes,, Please. This will bring folks to our town before they get to the Big Stop and perhaps somebody will develop the old Pizza Delight. And no, Council, locals will not be charging their cars there for free. Locals have their own chargers.
Bringing folks to our town? How about a great new concrete skatepark venue to attract those active and athletic travellers who like to explore the skateparks of Canada? Athletes tend to have an appetite for food too.
The stuff dreams are made of eh!. What!, reality check folks. I pop into ESSO to fill my almost empty 50 litre hybrid and pay at the pump THREE MINTUES VS THREE HOURS .. It’s just not New Brunswick InToronto maybe in Toronto. O k! let’s hit highway 400
and head for cottage country. Oh! OH! OOÒÒPS . The back up at the gas pumps at five minutes makes waiting at Costco a dream.. NBPOWER has to Greenwash somewhere and Tantramar is as good as anywhere. But use the profit to pay off debt not increase CEO salaries.
You are hilarious. According to the story, the new electrics can charge in 20 minutes for $5. You say you can do 3 minutes for $87.50 (today’s rates). You wouldn’t sit still for 17 minutes if someone paid you $82.50? That’s almost $300/hr!
Citizen Kraski I’m past my federal expiration date. Time is more than money. You have good point though Canadians are not as impulsive as Americans. After taking the kids to Disney World I made a promise to myself never to line up for anything . That is until I tasted Trueman farmers natural ice cream. To error is human….
Pleased to hear this news but but no indication in the article of the charge rates of these new NB Power DC chargers. This is very important and relevant information for people whose EVs can accept higher power during charging. Hopefully they are not installing the 50kW chargers that they deployed a few years ago, as most EV cars (except the Leaf and Bolt) can accept higher or even much higher power than that, and therefore charge faster. But I can’t help but wonder if this is 2-yrs too late due to the fact that Electrify Canada will be installing upwards of 6 DC fast chargers at the Canadian Tire in Amherst this year that will likely include 150 kW chargers and maybe even a 350 kW charger. People moving through the area with cars that can accept big power, will undoubtedly go to those chargers first if NB Power does not match the power levels for the Sackville chargers.
Comment from Bruce Wark: The three chargers will be 100kw. I’ll add that to the article. Thanks.
Thank you for the update Bruce. 100kW is better than 50 – twice as good in fact 🙂 . I will certainly take it, and the more chargers we have the better. If I came across as a little negative in my initial note, it was only because I see these chargers as an opportunity to attract people to our town for a little while to eat and shop, and spend their money here. My comment on the Electrify Canada chargers in Amherst was in light of the fact that those faster chargers may attract more people there instead of Sackville. However, a 100kW charger is enough to get many to stop, and stay for a while. I expect these chargers at the Information Centre may give a boost in business to Patterson’s Restaurant.
Owning a car isn’t in line with the sustainable development goals. Stop killing the planet.
It’s fantastic to see NB Power’s initiative to install three fast EV chargers at Sackville’s Visitor Information Centre. This move aligns with the growing demand for efficient charging options, especially along major highways. The inclusion of 100kw chargers at this strategic location is a significant step towards encouraging electric vehicle adoption, addressing long wait times, and promoting sustainable travel between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The consideration of both level 2 and level 3 chargers shows a commitment to accommodating various vehicles. Kudos to NB Power for investing in cleaner transportation infrastructure and enhancing the EV charging landscape.