SaskPower to spend $2M on EV fast-charging stations
Crown utility says 20 of the facilities will be built on major corridors
SaskPower says it will spend $2 million to help businesses build fast-charging stations for electric vehicles.
Companies and organizations can apply for the subsidy right away, the company said in a news release Friday.
The money will be used to build about 20 EV charging stations along major Saskatchewan corridors.
SaskPower notes that such facilities are lacking along such heavily travelled routes as Highway 11 and Highway 16.
Some secondary highways that connect major centres in the province are also in need of more fast chargers, it says.
About 1,200 EVs in Saskatchewan
Interested businesses will have to help pay for construction and will be in charge of operating them.
Fast-charging can give a car a full charge in 30-minutes to an hour, and a range of about 250 kilometres.
SaskPower says right now there are only about 1,200 electric vehicles on the road in Saskatchewan, but it expects that number to grow and so more charging infrastructure will be needed.
Electric vehicles have been a source of controversy for the provincial government. Last year, EV users were upset when the province introduced a $150 annual fee for owners of electrics — the first province to announce such a tax.
At the time Donna Harpauer, the finance minister, said it was needed because EV owners don't pay gasoline taxes that help maintain the highways.