The City of Colwood will now charge $1.25 per hour for the first four hours and $2 per hour afterwards at its previously free electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
The fees will roll out in the spring, according to John Russell, deputy director of deputy director of public works.
“By establishing this fee, any new charging stations we bring online can fund themselves easily, and it’ll make sure that they’re sustainable,” said Russell.
The use of these charging stations has risen from 3470 plug-ins in 2020 to 7770 in 2023, an increase of 124 per cent.
Colwood has six EV charging stations in the city: two EV chargers at 3300 Wishart Rd, two EV chargers at 3365 Trumpeter Street and two EV chargers at Ocean Boulevard.
Installing a charging station costs $15,000, with $12,000 used to pay for hydro and the remainder for licencing and maintenance.
There were 20,608 hours of connections at Colwood chargers in 2023, but only 75 per cent of the time was used for charging vehicles.
“We’re hoping it will encourage healthy turnover at the station…And that way, people won’t necessarily need to stay past the time that’s productive for them for charging.”
According to the city, climate change is one of the significant drivers for the change and introducing this fee to the charging stations will help pay for future costs.
Colwood will join the Town of View Royal and the City of Langford, who charge drivers for their charging stations at a rate of $1 for the first three hours and $2 after.
“The best way to pay is by using the Flow app. And it’s similar to what’s used in Saanich and Victoria.”
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