Victoria will introduce a new electric-vehicle-charging fee structure for city parkades this summer ahead of new charging stations downtown.
The new fee setup will be for both new direct-current, fast-charging stations as well as monthly permit holders in city parkades and surface lots.
Permit holders will pay $35 per month or 25 cents per hour for use of what are known as Level 2 charging stations.
The 240-volt Level 2 stations offer faster charging than a Level 1 station that uses a regular 120-volt outlet and provides a basic trickle charge.
In an hour of use, a Level 2 station would provide about six kilowatts of energy. It would take about eight hours to fully charge a vehicle.
By comparison, a direct-current, fast-charging station can charge most electric vehicles to 80 per cent in 30 to 40 minutes — based on the charging specifications.
The city is planning to install fast-charging stations that offer 25, 50 and 100-kilowatt charging options and will charge based on the speed at which the car is being charged — $5 per hour for 25kW, $12 per hour for 50kW and $16 per hour for 100kW.
Currently, drivers using Level 2 stations downtown pay $1 per hour to charge and $1 per hour for parking.
Drivers coming downtown and parking for the day — eight hours — in a long-term parking spot with Level 2 charging would pay for the maximum daily rate plus 25 cents per hour for a power-sharing station, or $1 per hour for stations that do not provide that sharing option.
Stations that offer power-sharing have multiple charging ports with the available power shared between the ports using demand-management software. Those stations take advantage of the fact most cars only need to charge for a few hours but are usually parked for longer periods.
The city currently has 19 Level 2 charging stations in the downtown as well as two B.C. Hydro-owned and operated fast-charging stations
The city plans to add 100 Level 2 stations, some with power-sharing options, and six fast-charging stations this year. Eventually it intends to install 600 charging stations.
City staff are planning to provide an update to on-street EV charging rates later this year, though the rates are expected to mirror those in the parkades.
The city began charging $1 per hour for Level 2 EV charging in January 2021.
According to a staff report, the rates are based on fees charged in other municipalities and are similar to B.C. Hydro residential rates.
aduffy@timescolonist.com
