Advocates push for more charging stations, subsidies

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This article was published 08/12/2022 (747 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s electric vehicle advocates are calling for more charging stations and government incentives.

Manitoba doesn’t offer rebates to electric vehicle buyers. In British Columbia, people receive $500 to $4,000 for their electric and hybrid purchases. Quebecers can get a rebate of $7,000 for all-electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles under $60,000.

This contributes to the latter two provinces getting prioritized for electric vehicle shipments, said James Hart, the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association’s president.

“We’ve always had longer wait times,” Hart said.

A provincial incentive would likely pique Manitobans’ interest in electric vehicles, noted Trevor Nott, owner of Nott Autocorp.

“I think reducing the… upfront cost on the electric purchase, with some help from the government, would certainly help,” he said.

Currently, the federal government offers incentives up to $5,000 for certain zero-emission vehicles.

“With Manitoba Hydro and how cheap our energy is here, it would serve our province well to support (the electric vehicle industry),” Nott said.

An electric vehicle travelling 15,000 km per year would use around the same amount of energy as a typical electric water heater, totalling approximately $0.01 to $0.02 per kilometre driven, according to Manitoba Hydro’s website.

More public charging stations are needed, said Robert Elms, the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association’s past president.

Manitoba has just one public station north of Swan River, a map on outlet tracker PlugShare shows.

The province has 112 stations containing 233 ports for charging, according to Natural Resources Canada. Manitoba Hydro estimates 74 ports are DC fast chargers, which can fuel a vehicle in 15 minutes to an hour.

Many chargers are Level 2, meaning re-energizing can take several hours.

Connie Blixhavn, who lives in Killarney, must visit Brandon — 100 km away — if she wants to use a public charging station. She mainly fuels up at home.

“For somebody who lives in Winnipeg, if they were to come to Killarney, they wouldn’t be able to get back because there’s no Level 3 (DC fast) chargers,” Blixhavn said, adding she’s let strangers charge in her garage.

A seven-hour charge at Blixhavn’s place typically adds 99 cents to her Hydro bill, she said. She pays around $4.20 to drive the 200 km to Brandon and back.

An increase in charging outlets prompts a jump in electric vehicle drivers, Elms argued.

“Where fast chargers have become pervasive… (people) buy a battery electric (car),” he said, listing locations like Norway and Quebec.

Quebec has 6,808 charging ports, National Resources Canada data show. Manitoba lags behind Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec on the charging port front, according to the data.

Manitoba is undertaking an analysis of where charging stations are needed, a provincial spokesperson wrote in an email.

The government is accepting proposals for a company to evaluate Manitoba’s electric vehicle charging network, and to identify gaps in the system and “a desirable network layout,” the spokesperson wrote.

They did not say whether the province would create a rebate for electric vehicle purchases. But, they pointed to Manitoba Hydro financing for home-based electric vehicle charging stations through the Crown corporation’s home efficiency loan program.

Manitoba will develop a green transportation strategy, the spokesperson wrote.

“Manitoba’s energy strategy will establish a long-term policy framework to ensure resources are available as the market transitions toward electrification,” the statement reads.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com