City to Fund Electric Car Charging Stations
In a unanimous vote last week, Kingston City Council approved a plan to build 29 charging stations for electric cars around the city. The plan will include two 450-volt Level 3 stations, 25 220-volt Level 2 stations and two 120-volt Level 1 charging stations which will be installed in parking lots, arenas and other sites owned by the city and comes with a $796,000 price tag. In addition to that amount, another $82,000 will be spent on Level 1 and 2 stations that will be free to users for the first 2 years, after which a fee will be added to help with the maintenance cost of about $60,000. Level 3 chargers will cost users somewhere between $10-15 per hour from the get-go.
While Kingston is on a mission to become Canada’s Most Sustainable City, one has to wonder if spending such an enormous amount of money on something that effects only a small percentage of Kingstonians is a good way to use tax payer funds. While it is true that about one third of Kingston’s greenhouse gas emissions come from our use of fuel, the number of electric cars in ygk is still fairly low and there are far more pressing matters to address.
For example, this past Friday, Council deferred a plan to make naloxone kits available in city-owned facilities. If you have been following the news in any way over the last year or so, you already know that fentanyl and other opioid overdoses are rampant across Canada, killing people of all ages and walks of life – drug addicts and otherwise. Naloxone is the antidote to these overdoses, providing the temporary reversal of the effects, giving users time to get the help they need. While over 70 people have died of opioid overdoses in Southeastern Ontario, the use of naloxone has saved over 140 people in recent months.
While a number hasn’t been released for the cost of providing these kits, which would have included providing training and education on how to use them, it can’t possibly come close to the nearly 1 million dollars being spent on electric car charging stations. This has to make one wonder what the city’s priorities are. Considering that, this week we want to know:
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The naloxone kits are simply one example of the many things that city council should be considering to help make Kingston a better, safer place to live. What do you think? Are Kingston City Council’s priorities out of whack? Do these recent decisions reflect good use of tax payer dollars? Drop off your comments below.
Thanks to Håkan Dahlström for today’s photo.
I can’t find anywhere else that is even close to spending that on chargers proportional to population. In June Vancouver had 16, and approved 15 more. So we’ll have about as many munciipal chargers with a fraction of the population. Vancouver is also charging $2-$16/hour, and I believe they are all at paid parking spots too.
Kingston has just guaranteed the private sector won’t put any in, no way to compete with free for 2 years and a willingness to never see a return.. Odd how they did that so fast without disssent, when even the most trivial, obvious decisions can result in endless wrangling, deferrals, and demands for more public input. One councilor who voted against $15k for an accessible taxi last term because it was “subsidizing business”, voted for the $800k chargers with no concern at all.
Great idea. Now if we can get Homestead to put chargers in their parking areas that would be excellent!
Kings Crossing has had them already for a while.
Only Tesla ones. I don’t think they are compatible with other vehicles.
It was funny, I asked a guy installing them if he’d ever seen a Tesla in person and he said no. lol.
I would like to know how many residents of Kingston actually do drive an electric vehicle. Is that number proportional to the enormous installation and maintenance cost? And what about our roads, when are they getting paved?
If you build it, they will come.
I think they are awesome. I’ve been driving an electric car in Kingston for almost 3 years.
The number is only going to go up over time. It’s also really not much more expensive that maintaining streetlights.
I think its important to get charging infrastructure in place so people can see that e vehicles can be easier to use. There is no way Im going to consider electric without charging options available.
So we all get a grasp on what is going down in the next few years… Electric cars yes will be all over in 3 years what is 2020.. Now buy 2025 in 7 years We will all see the hyperloop system in Canada. Now most ev cars now can only drive 200km or a just a bit more. When the Hyperloop is up.. 401 driving will be down 20% then close to 40-50% buy 2028, 2030 70-80%. What makes that car worth it in 2020-2025 I think ev cars will do 500 to 600km . What makes Gas will Pointless. With out the Hyperloop the ev car would be Pointless. So in 7-10 years.. We get to zip Down A tube drive EV Cars..
#Awesome
The city is half way btw Ottawa Montreal and Toronto. What’s the average range of an electric vehicle? Then figure it out. Chevy is also planning on going all electric in 5 years.