EET&D: Tell us about the electric vehicle fast charging corridor that are coming to Alberta.

TREMBLAY – The deployment covers electric vehicle (EV) fast charging stations in three of Alberta’s major cities: Red Deer, Calgary, and greater Edmonton, in collabora¬tion with Canadian Tire Gas+ and supported by Canada’s Department of Natural Resources. These three sites will form the province’s first universal, fast charging station corridor. The stations are currently being installed and the project is expected to be completed early in 2018.

This project promises to dramatically improve the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Alberta.

STENSBY – The companies behind this deployment have shared responsibility for the project. One partner will supply the infrastructure and serve as the network operator of the charging stations as part of its Canada-wide network. The other is providing planning, engineering and project management expertise, as well as supporting the con¬struction and installation of the charging stations.
 

EET&D: How were the locations selected?

TREMBLAY – Distance, convenience and compatibility were important considerations. The selected locations ensure universal fast charging infrastructure is available every 150 km or so along the fastest route from Edmonton to Calgary. Even though the technology is constantly improving, most EVs currently on the market would not be

able to make this journey on a single charge. This corridor will allow EV drivers to travel more freely between these two major cities, knowing they can make a quick stop midway in Red Deer to get a full charge.

Plus, all three sites are all conveniently located close to Highway 2 exits and near amenities such as rest areas, shops or restaurants, so EV drivers will be able to grab a snack or do some shopping while they charge.
 

EET&D: Tell us more about the type of charging stations that will be installed.

TREMBLAY – Each location will be equipped with a universal direct current fast charger (DCFC), as well as a dual Level 2 charging station.

The fast charging stations will charge most electric vehicles up to 80 percent of their battery capacity in about 20 to 30 minutes. They are equipped with two different connectors (CHAdeMO and SAE Combo) to be compatible with all models of electric vehicles currently available in North America.

The Level 2 charging stations will provide about 30 km of range per hour of charging. Although much slower, these chargers will act as secondary options for drivers in case the DCFC is already in use and will allow plug-in hybrid vehicles to charge, as these vehicles do not support fast charging.
 

EET&D: Will those charging stations be enough to convince someone to purchase an electric vehicle?

TREMBLAY – There is currently just one universal fast charging station in Alberta. Other than that, there are a number of Level 2 charging stations and five Tesla superchargers, though these are only compatible with Tesla vehicles.

Public charging infrastructure is crucial to allow long-distance travel and to help EV drivers overcome “range anxiety”—the fear of not having enough battery power to get to their destination. The fast charging corridor will directly fill this void.

Although public charging is important, it’s part of a larger charging “ecosystem.” Typically, between 60 percent and 80 percent of EV charging is done at home, at night, meaning EV drivers leave home each morning with a fully charged vehicle. Considering the average Canadian driver travels less than 50 km a day, most drivers will be able to do their daily driving on a single charge.

It is already possible for Albertans to drive electric vehicles today, but it will certainly become easier and more convenient as public charging infrastructure continues to grow.
 

EET&D: Where does Alberta stand in terms of electric vehicle adoption?

TREMBLAY – There are currently more than 1,000 electric vehicles registered in Alberta. Although it’s not a huge number, this is a 60 percent increase from the previous year, and Alberta currently has the fourth-largest number of EVs in Canada after Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.
 

EET&D: Why invest in charging stations when electric vehicle represents just a tiny fraction of total car sales?

TREMBLAY – Although the EV market is still small in Alberta, developing public charging infrastructure is a crucial first step to support EV adoption. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation; the more charging stations available, the more people will switch to electric mobility; and as the number of EV drivers grows, more businesses will be interested to invest in charging stations.

Based on our experience in building out charging networks in other Canadian provinces, we believe this new charging corridor will be a strong catalyst for electric mobility. We’ve seen firsthand that the availability of a reliable and extensive charging infrastructure is a key factor in driving adoption.
 

EET&D: How will this project benefit the customer?

STENSBY – It is important to make sure all Albertans have access to energy, whether they live in cities or in the most remote and isolated communities in the world.

This project ensures that we are improving the lives of our customers by providing sustainable, innovative and comprehensive energy solutions.

Electric vehicles will continue to play a growing role in meeting our collective transportation needs in the years to come, and we are incredibly proud to help bring this cutting-edge charging infrastructure to Alberta.
 

EET&D: What makes you think electric vehicles represent the future of transportation?

TREMBLAY – There is a growing consensus that electric vehicles are the future of personal transportation, not just in Canada, but worldwide. Almost every car manufacturer now has at least one model of plug-in vehicle on the market, and global EV sales reached 735,000 in 2016.

Here in Canada, governments in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia have been offering incentives to support electric mobility, which have fueled exponential growth of the adoption rates in these provinces. The federal government also plans to develop a national Zero-Emission Vehicle Strategy by 2018.

We’ve now reached a point where it’s not a question of “if” electric vehicles will become the norm, but “when”.
 

EET&D: Are there plans to install more charging stations in Alberta? What’s next for the province?

STENSBY – For now, only these three sites are officially announced, but the initiative will be the first project in a strategic partnership between ATCO and FLO. We are also exploring opportunities to do more with EV charging stations in several Alberta municipalities, as well as working on other highway, residential and workplace charging projects.

TREMBLAY – As we roll out more charging stations in Alberta, the province’s infrastructure will connect with our existing network across Canada. We are currently working with various private and public partners to grow our network in Eastern British Columbia, right up to the border. This will soon allow EV drivers to travel even longer distances between provinces.