Good news for people driving electric vehicles or those considering the gasoline-free or hybrid route in New Brunswick.
NB Power is launching a public network of electric vehicle charging stations in 15 locations along the province’s busiest highways. The utility made the announcement last week and expects the network to be complete by year’s end.
The stations will include both fast-chargers (400 volt) and level- 2 chargers (240 volt). Nine level-2 chargers are already located at businesses and municipalities within the province. The fast-chargers only need 20-30 minutes to recharge, whereas the level-2 chargers take up to eight hours for a full charge from empty.
The charging stations will be located at 65-kilometre intervals along the Trans-Canada Highway from Edmundston, in the northern reaches of the province, down south to Aulac, near the border with Nova Scotia.
According to NB Power, an electric vehicle owner can reduce their carbon footprint up to 80 per cent and reduce their fuel-related costs by about 75 per cent.
In addition to the charging stations, food, washrooms and other amenities will be provided to allow for little breaks along the highway while your vehicle recharges.
Overall, an investment of $500,000 from Natural Resources Canada will go toward purchasing and installing the fast-charging stations.
This step will hopefully also encourage drivers to consider switching to electric vehicles.
In our Climate Action Plan for New Brunswick, we recommend that tax incentives, grants, and/or loan guarantees should be offered to encourage the sale of electric plug-in and low-emission hybrid vehicles. Our goal is to increase the amount of electric vehicles in New Brunswick to about 10,000 by 2020, rising to between 140,000 to 150,000 on the road by 2030. This could cut carbon pollution from vehicles emissions by at least 500,000 tonnes.
Fast chargers are being installed at the following locations along the Trans-Canada Highway:
- Edmundston Truck Stop
- Irving Big Stop, Saint-André
- Johnson Guardian, Perth-Andover
- Murray’s Irving, Woodstock
- Petro-Canada / Acorn Restaurant, Prince William
- Irving Big Stop, Waasis
- Youngs Cove Irving
- Irving Big Stop, Salisbury
- Magnetic Hill Irving, Moncton
- Irving Big Stop, Aulac
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