Need for chargers in N.S. grows with more electric vehicles on the road, experts say

Chad MacLean helped open a repair shop for electric vehicles in Dartmouth, N.S., two years ago because he saw an opportunity.

While working as a technician at a dealership, he noticed more and more people were moving away from gas-powered vehicles.  

Now, half his customers drive electric vehicles. But he says those customers tell him the same thing.

"Outside of this garage here, outside of repairs, outside of anything, I would say the biggest challenge for people in Nova Scotia is the charging infrastructure, " said MacLean, who co-owns and operates Garage EV.

"I mean, that holds a lot [of people] back."

Electric vehicles registered in Nova Scotia are accelerating in numbers. But experts in the industry say charging infrastructure hasn't kept up. 

The number of electric battery vehicles in the province rose from just 53 in 2017 to 2,366 at the end of 2023, according to Statistics Canada. Hybrid electric vehicles grew from 3,397 to 9,914 during that time. Plug-in electrics went from 183 to 1,411.

More chargers promised

Nova Scotia Power said there were more than 200 public electric vehicle chargers in the province as of January 2023. The number is now closer to 300, according to apps like ChargeHub and PlugShare.

The federal government announced this summer it was spending over $3 million to install 660 electric chargers across the province.  

Plans to install 56 chargers in Halifax Regional Municipality this spring were delayed. The municipality didn't respond to a request for an update on the project.

"We are going electric at a fast pace, but we need to catch up, especially considering our EV charging infrastructure," said Kurt Sampson, co-founder of the Electric Vehicle Association of Atlantic Canada and zero-emission advocate with the Atlantic division of the Canadian Automobile Association.

Sampson said Nova Scotia is behind provinces like Quebec and Ontario when it comes to the number of electric vehicles and chargers available to them. 

Continued investment in chargers from governments is essential to improving infrastructure, but business like hotels and restaurants can also play a role, according to Sampson. 

He said a robust network of charging infrastructure supports drivers who already have left gas pumps behind and also provides assurance to those who are considering an electric vehicle.  

Nova Scotia can improve its network by focusing on rural areas when installing new chargers, so residents and visitors aren't stranded on longer trips, Sampson said.  

"That's one of the stepping stones that we need to get to, that we are not there yet," he said.