Charging stations in Windsor-Essex: “a good start, but we can do better”

Only a few months after the start of the process, Eric Freeze, the project coordinator at Essex Energythe entity that initiated Windsor-Essex Charge Upsays he is very satisfied with the way things are developing.

The community is responding really well. We have allocated all the funding we have, but that said, we are still accepting applications in case there is new funding.he explains.

” [On commencera à installer les bornes] as soon as this summer, and they must all have been installed by March 31, 2024. »

It is 1.7 million dollars of financing thatEssex Energy distributes on study of projects. Money from the zero-emission vehicle infrastructure program set up by Natural Resources Canada.

With an overall budget of $680 million, the program notably funds the installation of charging stations across the country. The money spent in Windsor-Essex will allow the installation of approximately 105 level 2 charging stations and 30 fast charging stations.

Level 1 chargers use common household outlets such as toasters. Level 2 terminals are more or less similar to those used for stoves. They can offer four times higher recharges than level 1 chargers. (New window)

We can do better

Although automotive columnist Benoit Charette welcomes this announcement, he considers that it can only be a beginning and believes that much more will have to be done if we want to achieve the objectives set by the federal government, to only sell electric vehicles from 2035.

We will have to multiply by 10 what we have at the moment. So the fact that we’re installing a hundred of them is a start, but it’s clear that it won’t be enough because the needs will grow.he says.

” If we look at a horizon of 4 or 5 years, we will probably have to double, then triple the quantity fairly quickly [de bornes de recharge] that we have at the moment. »

Mr. Charette recalls that several billion dollars of investment in Ontario’s automobile industry, electric vehicles in particular, have recently been announced, which should result in a rapid increase in the need for charging stations.

He believes that it is imperative that planning be done so that both the number and the quality of the terminals installed increases.

There, what we have at the moment are individual terminals, a few terminals at a time. Can we provide charging centers at the height of what we have, for example, in a service station?he asks himself.

” Can we have services that are connected to charging centers? For example, can only fast charging stations be planned? »

Benoit Charette thinks that users do not want to be forced to wait for hours on the side of highways to recharge when they travel.

Ontario’s share

the CEOCEO of Electric Mobility Canada, Daniel Breton, also pleads for the installation of more charging stations for electric vehicles in Windsor-Essex.

He thinks that in this area, Ontario should be more ambitious.

For the moment, at the federal level, we are seeing investments, at the Ontario level so far it has been rather timid. Not to say that for four years there have been cuts in investment in charging infrastructurehe explains.

” So Ontario has some catching up to do and Windsor is part of that. »

Daniel Breton would like more and more partnerships to be established between the province and even the cities, in particular that of Windsor, and private companies so that the latter also participate in the installation of electric charging stations.