Vancouver city council voted in favour of a pilot project today that will see electric vehicle drivers charged fees for using the city’s 16 curbside charging stations.
Kitsilano currently has 2 of these charging stations, one at Kits Beach on Arbutus and one at Jericho Village on Alma.
Fees will start at $2 an hour for a level 2 charger to $16 an hour for DC fast charger, in addition to a regular parking meter rate.
According to a staff report, the city is opting to charge by the hour instead of by units of energy, in order to encourage faster turnover at the charging stations.
Councillor Andrea Reimer, who put forward the motion, noted that the city has long intended to start charging fees for the use of the stations and said that the rates could be adjusted, if they’re found to be too high or low for the intended outcome.
Council also approved another pilot project that will create 15 new residential charging stations and five new non-residential charging stations.
The city says the new residential stations are intended to address the problem of “garage orphans” installing their own DIY curbside charging stations without the city’s approval.
Last modified: June 27, 2017
