At Tuesday’s Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services meeting the committee will review a recommendation from administration that the Community Electric Vehicle Charging Stations continue to operate with a user fee of $3 per hour from EV drivers, for charging, starting in January 2026. It also recommends the pilot project be extended until the end of this year with no user fees until December 31st.

The report shows the number of new Electric Vehicles, based on registration data, has steadily increased from only 18 in 2017 to 524 in 2024. There were two chargers installed at each of Lakewood and Lawson Civic Centers in May 2023, for public use with no user fees for a two-year period.

The stations saw an average of 44 unique drivers using the service monthly, to a total of over 4,200 charging sessions and Administration says an estimated 30 tonnes of CO2e was reduced because of the stations. The operating cost was approximately $5,800 annually for electricity, $2,600 for vendor fees for the platform and ASSURE warranty, and staff costs estimated at $12,000 per year. The report indicates Capital funding to continue operating the stations as per the pilot, with no user fees collected, is available until the end of 2025.