St. Marys is celebrating the installation of three new Level 2 electric vehicle chargers.
The town installed the new chargers in municipal parking lots, with two at the Pyramid Recreation Centre, and one in the Jones Street lot.
Mayor Al Strathdee says this brings their charger count up to eight in the area, and he says the chargers were installed with help from the Perth County Electric Pathway, a partnership to expand the EV charging network in Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County.
"Apparently, we're told, that there's 2,700 electric vehicles in our local area, in Perth County, and only 8 public chargers. So there's a need for supply for the local traffic, but we also realize how important it is to have a tourist network. People are seeking these things out," Strathdee stated. "But also it's important because what we're seeing is people are seeking these chargers out, not only during their travels, but to hook up with their tourist destinations and the sights they wanna see. We've sort of spread them around town a bit, and one of the things I've found interesting is, when people are going to events, maybe to watch your kid play hockey for instance, you go out for a couple hours and you charge your vehicle. So it's important to keep expanding the access."
Additionally, Strathdee says they want to pursue getting a Level 3 charger to continue expanding the local EV network.
"We're not there yet, but that's sort of what we're working towards, so that we can have a complete network in the area where people come to Stratford for the festival, and then jump over to St. Marys for a day trip, then on to Mitchell, and so on. So this will be so we're all connected and we all work to improve tourism on the whole," added Strathdee.
Each new charging station features two ports, bringing the town’s total to 8 ports over three locations, with one post already installed at the train station.
Level 2 chargers are ideal for residents who don’t have a charging station at home, commuters who work in town and day trippers. An average electric vehicle will take 4 to 10 hours to charge using a Level 2 charger.
Strathdee notes that they'll continue lobbying upper levels of government with a goal of having a Level 3 charger in place by 2026. The installation of a single Level 3 charger can cost upwards of $100,000, compared to $7,500 for a Level 2 port.
The cost to use the chargers in St. Marys is $2/hour. Parking spaces that have a charging station are reserved for use by EVs, and only while charging. Those who park a non-electric vehicle in a charging space or park an EV in a charging space without using the charger could receive a fine up to $120.
Questions about the chargers can be directed to the Clerks Department at clerksoffice@town.stmarys.on.ca.