After just a few short months, the $1.7 million dedicated to the Charge Up electric vehicle charging program is fully committed.
Offered through Essex Powerlines Corporation, the program provided up to 50 per cent of the cost to install charging stations at public locations. The funding came from the federal government's Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program.
"A lot of the applicants were institutional or municipal, universities, school boards, all accessible to people parking in public," said Steve Ray, chief operating officer at Essex Powerlines
Over the next few months, 144 charging stations will be installed at 35 locations throughout the region.
The Town of Tecumseh will install stations at the OPP station, McAuliffe Park, Lakewood Park, and St. Mary's Park.
"The shovels have already started to hit the dirt. This summer, probably three-quarters of the charging stations will go in and then some will naturally trail off into the fall," said Ray.
Essex Powerlines has started a waitlist for the program in case more funding becomes available.
