170 unique visitors have used the new Electric Vehicle charging units at North Bay’s Community Energy Park since mid-March.
Services, a part of the North Bay Hydro group of companies, held the grand opening Wednesday for its units, which are located between the North Bay YMCA and Memorial Gardens.
Officials say there are two Level 3 chargers and two Level 2 chargers, which enable convenient and efficient charging options for EV owners in the area or those visiting North Bay.
“We’re seeing usage which is actually ahead of where we believed it would be,” says Matt Payne, President and CEO of North Bay Hydro Services.
He says the addition of the EV chargers completes the energy park vision, noting they’re in demand from EV owners.
“I will say that when this park went into operation four years ago the only complaints I’ve gotten about it was ‘Where are the EV chargers?’ People are asking and people do need them as they come through our community,” Payne says.
Nearly $100,000 in federal funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) supported the project.
“Making the shift to EVs is a critical step towards decarbonizing on-road transportation, which accounts for 20 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions,” says Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing-Timiskaming. “As more and more people across Canada and right here in Nipissing-Timiskaming make the switch to electric vehicles, these EV chargers become more and more important for constituents to have access to.”
Over 6,000 kWh have been used at the units so far, including over 230 charges and 145 charging hours.
