With ongoing efforts to create and support an environmentally sustainable community, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent through partial funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources, has partnered with ChargerCrew to provide several electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout our communities.
An EV is a car or truck that is powered by an electric motor instead of a gasoline or diesel engine. An EV uses rechargeable batteries and does not produce emissions.
There are three types of charging stations, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.
- Level 1 stations would be a charger that would come with an electric vehicle when purchased and plug into a standard 120 volt, 15 amp wall outlet. Charging times at these stations vary with vehicle and charger but will typically charge 200 kilometres (km) in approximately 20 hours.
- Level 2 stations are like the Municipality currently has installed in some of its parking lots. These are stations with 1 or 2 charging heads using 240 volts and either 40 or 50 amps. The typical charge time at these stations is 200 km in approximately 5 hours.
- Level 3 stations or "Fast Chargers" operate at direct current voltage, sometimes as high as 800 volts, and can charge a vehicle 160 kilometres in approximately 30 minutes.
Fees
Currently, there are no fees for use of the chargers, however, beginning in January 2025 the user fee is anticipated to change to $2/hour.
Public Charging Stations
There are six charging locations throughout the municipality, each including two Level 2 charging ports. Level 2 EV charging stations are well suited for 1 to 2-hour "top-ups" and can help reduce range anxiety when travelling. The publicly accessible EV charging locations are presented on the map below. Currently, due to vandalism, the EV charger at the Cultural Centre is not in use.
To use the charging stations the ChargePoint app will need to be downloaded. For more information, including other charging locations in the area, please visit the ChargePoint website.
For more information on Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations in Chatham-Kent, email ck311@chatham-kent.ca or call 519-360-1998.
