Oshawa Power launching downtown EV charging station program next Thursday

The official launch of Oshawa’s downtown electric vehicle charging stations takes place May 19 at 11 a.m. at the Oshawa Power headquarters on Simcoe St. S.

Oshawa Power will be installing eight electric vehicle charging stations in downtown Oshawa this year, thanks in part to funding from Natural Resources Canada, with the hope the stations will help remove the barriers to ownership of electric vehicles, as well as a “modern” method of attracting people to Oshawa’s downtown.

Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce CEO Jason King will MC the launch with speeches from Mayor Dan Carter and Oshawa Power CEO Ivano Labricciosa. Vehicles will be supplied by General Motors.

According to a 2016 census, Durham Region commuters have the highest percentage of long commutes — over an hour each way (22.4 per cent) within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Durham commutes are also comparatively greenhouse gas intensive and are therefore an important demographic to target for EV adoption.

Oshawa Power will assume the charging costs for use as part of its commitment to support EV adoption. It will be free for users coming to the downtown core for a summer promotional period, encouraging residents and visitors to visit, with the campaign ending September 15. At that point, standard EV rates will apply.

In addition, the EV charging spots will be discoverable on various networks, such as Plugshare, Waze, and Google Maps.

The Level 2 chargers offer speed, reliability, an optimal range output, and are designed to provide nearly a full charge in 2 hours or less – approximately the same time it takes to enjoy a meal, watch a show or attend a hockey game.