Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Electric Vehicles (EV) and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles are becoming increasingly popular with more models on the market, better battery range and more drivers switching from gas to electric. EVs present an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise, while providing some savings over a vehicle’s lifetime.
 
During a recent Committee of the Whole meeting, Council voted unanimously to support the installation of 24 Level 2 Electric Vehicle charging stations. Fourteen will be available to the public at seven City facilities and ten for use by the City's corporate light-duty fleet.
 
This will add seven publicly available EV charging locations to the current 14 across St. John's, while better enabling the City to make a transition of its corporate light-duty fleet to EVs.
 
The locations identified for the public EV charging stations are:

• City Hall, 10 New Gower Street
• Paul Reynolds Community Centre, 35 Carrick Drive
• Southlands Community Centre, 40 Teakwood Drive
• St. John's Community Market, 245 Freshwater
• Churchill Square
• Future Community Centre (to replace Mews)
• Downtown On-Street EV Charging Station Pilot, location to be determined through stakeholder engagement in the new year

A flat fee of $1.50 per hour is proposed for public chargers, enabling the City to fund the operations of the chargers and make future investments, while still passing on 60-70% of the energy savings of switching to an EV to the public.
 
This EV project is expected to receive over $117,000 in external grants with the City’s portion of funding through the Sustainability operating budget. The opportunity for private individuals or business to financially contribute through sponsorship of public EV charging stations is available, details will be released at a later date.
 
City Council will further discuss and vote on the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Funding at its meeting beginning 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. Watch online live or later at StJohns.ca/CouncilMeetings.
 
In May 2021 Council unanimously adopted the City's Corporate Climate Plan, with the Community Corporate Plan Resilient St. John's expected to be released and open for public engagement in fall 2021.
 
The City of St. John’s is committed to be a city that is sustainable today and for future generations; economically, environmentally and financially. This project is identified in Our City, Our Future under the Sustainability priority with the goal to facilitate and create the conditions that drive the economy by being business and industry friendly; and being a location of choice for residents, business and visitors.