![]() ![]() 'lagging behind' on promoting electric vehicles, says Green Party leader "In terms of offering incentives to Islanders to actually purchase the vehicles and use them we're really lagging behind," he told CBC. In P.E.I., the leader of the opposition Green party, Peter Bevan-Baker, has said the provincial government should bring back an incentive program that was killed in 2013. The province also recently passed the country's only legislation requiring automakers to sell a minimum number of electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for the 2018 model year. Last year, nearly half of all of Canada's electric car sales were recorded in Quebec, where electricity is relatively cheap due to abundant hydroelectric power. The sales rebates, which can reach up to $8,000 in Quebec, have helped boost sales. The three bigger provinces are well ahead on electric vehicles because they offer sales rebates, education programs, special driving lanes and parking spots, and workplace charging, among other things, Pushkarna said. There are about 32,000 electric vehicles on Canada's roads. There are only about 150 electric-only and plug-in hybrid vehicles in Nova Scotia, he said. On a per capita basis, however, the Atlantic provinces are well behind Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia when it comes to charging stations and electric vehicle ownership, said Sanjeev Pushkarna, Nova Scotia Power's manager of customer solutions. "The savings will get better over time," he said. That number will improve as the province reduces its reliance on coal-fired generating plants, which currently produce about 50 per cent of Nova Scotia's electricity. ![]() In Nova Scotia, drivers of fully electric vehicles typically produce 30 per cent less greenhouse gas than those driving gasoline-powered vehicles. Groszko says the shift toward electric vehicles will eventually have a big impact on the environment. driver dreams of day when all cars are electric Prince Edward Island has about 30 Level-2 chargers, and Newfoundland and Labrador has about two dozen. Dozens of Level-2 chargersĬurrently, New Brunswick has more than 50 standard Level-2 chargers. New Brunswick's NB Power announced a similar plan last month, committing to adding 10 Level-3 fast-charging stations along the Trans-Canada Highway, from Edmundston to Aulac. "Electric vehicles are the future, and we want to help make Nova Scotia ready for that future," Nova Scotia Power CEO Karen Hutt said in a statement. Fast charging will cost $10 per hour, or $2.50 for a 15-minute session.ĭrivers of fully electric vehicles in Nova Scotia typically produce 30 per cent less greenhouse gas than those driving gasoline-powered vehicles. Nova Scotia Power says the new stations, which should be ready by next spring, will enable electric vehicle drivers to travel from Sydney to Yarmouth without worrying about where they can charge their batteries. (There are currently only two Level-3 chargers in the province - one in Halifax, the other in Truro.) ![]() The average charge time for Level-3 fast-chargers is 15 to 30 minutes, whereas most of the 100 or so Level-2 chargers in Nova Scotia take from three to eight hours, and a regular household outlet can take 12 hours or more. says these stations will offer so-called fast-charging, which will dramatically reduce the time it takes to charge electric-only vehicles. In Nova Scotia, the province's electric utility announced Wednesday it will set up 12 more stations along the province's 100-series highways, though the locations have yet to be determined. "When they're in place, people will be able to drive their electric cars farther. "It's a good step forward," says Wayne Groszko, renewable energy co-ordinator with the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre.
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