New fast electric charging station planned for Orleans

New stations to charge electric cars New charging station in Orleans

Ottawa — Higher gas prices and better battery life has more Canadians looking to buy electric vehicles. But the demand means a lack of charging stations.

 

Drivers though, can soon plug into a brand new fast charging station in Orléans this fall.

 

Chris Dugal is the sales manager at Jim Keay Ford in Orléans. He says their new 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is a hot commodity.

 

“People nowadays are definitely more conscious and self-aware of fuel efficiency and saving the planet,” says Dugal. “Electric cars have progressed immensely in the last two years. No one would have thought we would have a Mustang electric vehicle, and now we do with the Mach-E. So the public interest is driving the automotive manufacturers to create vehicles to suit their needs.”

But one thing lacking in Ottawa, is charging stations.

“That’s definitely keeping some people, holding them back from buying the vehicles.” Says Dugal.

 

And although you can cross the entire country in your battery powered car, charging it in the city is sometimes not that convenient.

“So I’m very pleased to announce, on behalf of Minister O’Regan, that we are joining with the city of Ottawa to fund a new charger, right here in Orléans, at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Centre.” Says Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development

 

The public charger will be available to all who drive electric cars.

“We want to make sure that we make it as easy as possible for people to transition to electric vehicles,” says Scott Moffatt, Chair of the Environment Committee. “We know that’s where we’re going. We know that we’ve seen from the private sector, General Motors and Ford and other companies have announced dates in which they are getting to, for full fleet electric vehicles. So we know its coming.”

Right now there are only about 10 charging stations at city owned facilities in Ottawa, with plans to expand that to 24.

“So this will be the fastest one that we have in the city,” says Matthew Luloff, City Councillor for Ward 1 Orléans. “There are so many people that are taking advantage of the rebates that the federal government has for electric vehicles. We see them everywhere in the community. So to have this public charging station down here at Bob MacQuarrie is going to make a massive difference.”