Kingston’s first electric boat charging station unveiled in Confederation Basin

Kingston’s Confederation Basin Marina is now home to Canada’s first Voltari “e-Pump” — reportedly the fastest marine electric vehicle (EV) charger in North America at this time. 

Kingston’s Mayor as well as representatives of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (Kingston EcDev) and the Canadian manufacturer of marine EV systems Voltari Electric, were on hand at the marina, to mark an important step towards the electrification of pleasure boating, which is a major source of greenhouse gases, as well as air, noise and water pollution, according to a release from Kingston EcDev.

The e-Pump supercharger, which uses a CCS J1772 plug familiar to drivers of electric cars, delivers a 160Kw charge, according to the release, which makes it the fastest marine EV charger in North America at this time, Kingston EcDev shared. Also on hand, as the e-Pump’s first customer, was Voltari Electric’s First Edition, North America’s first electric performance boat to reach the world market. According to the release, the e-Pump can take the First Edition’s burly full-day’s-use battery pack from empty to full in one hour, at a cost under $20. 

Voltari plans to issue an integrated app which will allow boaters to check availability and reserve a slot at the charger ahead of time.  “No more lining up for the fuel pumps at the marina,” said Voltari CEO Cam Heaps. “No more fuel spills and oil leaks fouling the waterways. No more smoke and loud engines – just the sound of the water on the hull. You can have a normal conversation with the person next to you while running this boat. This technology takes away so many bad things and just leaves all the best parts of being a recreational boater.”

In addition to the e-Pump, Voltari will also be offering residential and portable charging systems compatible with most marinas, in 48 and 80-amp systems, as well as the matching adaptors, according to the release. Early standardization in charging interfaces will reportedly let them support other electric craft as well as Voltari’s line of performance boats.

Kingston was “a natural choice” for the first Voltari e-Pump, said Voltari President Tim Markou. “It’s close to our production facility in Merrickville. We plan to be one of the pump’s regular customers – Kingston’s historic downtown waterfront is a beautiful place to bring customers for test drives.”

Kingston’s Mayor Bryan Paterson agreed, given Kingston’s status as the first city in Ontario to declare a climate emergency and its proactive stance on reducing environmental impact. “As a City, we’re committed to demonstrating leadership on climate action,” he said. “That’s why we’re excited to install Canada’s very first EV-boat charging station and to welcome the launch of the country’s first commercially available electric boat. We’re a boating community and I look forward to making sure Kingston leads the way [in] promoting environmentally friendly boating practices!”

Shelley Hirstwood, Director of Business Development at Kingston Economic Development Corporation, said that she sees the installation and the cooperative relationship it represents, as one more asset in Kingston’s leadership position in EV and sustainable technologies. “Kingston is actively engaged in the battery and EV sector supporting investment attraction and business growth activities. Voltari is a great example of a cutting-edge company that values sustainability and a green future,” Hirstwood expressed.

While gazing out over the water and the boats bobbing in the marina, Voltari CEO Cam Heaps patted the shining surface of the charger and smiled. “We’ve imagined electric technologies transforming boating and waterways worldwide. It was an idea before, but now it’s reality.”

Learn more about Voltari Electric on their website.