Canadian EV charging station manufacturer AddEnergie's FLO network is adding curbside charging to seven cities across the country, through a Natural Resources Canada funded project.
Charging stations are beginning to pop up nationwide, but most are in parking lots, big stores, and shopping centres. The lack of on the street infrastructure is still hindering adoption for the many city dwellers who only have street parking, so can't charge at home. This new project will deploy 100 new urban charging stations, with each one able to charge two EVs at once.
The project will be managed by AddEnergie's FLO subsidiary. FLO operates the largest network of charging stations in the country and provides at-home, workplace, and public charging solutions. The cities involved in the project include London, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Surrey. The Vancouver chargers have already been installed, and the rest will be ready by March 31 next year.
Natural Resources Canada is contributing $6.7 million in funding to the initiative. Minister Jim Carr said that "This project will create jobs, develop an internationally marketable technology, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by making it easier for more Canadians to drive electric vehicles. These innovative charging stations are emblematic of our Government's commitment to clean technology."
The Level 2 charging stations are designed to be unobtrusive when installed on busy city streets, but still easy to spot by electric car drivers. They also use a retractable power cord to avoid street clutter.
