How local electric-vehicle drivers charge their cars as popularity grows

EDMONTON -

As more Canadians are making the jump to electric vehicles, hoping to save on fuel costs and cut down on emissions, some drivers are learning there is an up front cost in addition to the car.

Driving an electric vehicle is about minutes per charge, not price per litre like vehicles with a traditional gasoline or diesel engine.

Finding an electric charging station in the city is easy, fairly inexpensive, even free at some locations.

"This gets me empty to full in about an hour and a half," said Christopher, an electric vehicle (EV) driver who was charging at Londonderry Mall.

For those who want to have the convenience of charging at home buying the charger itself is the easy part, but installing it could deliver sticker shock.

"I think it was about $1,200," said Amanda Wicklund, an EV driver, the average cost CTV News Edmonton has heard from several local EV drivers.

That price was too much for Wicklund, who's content to rapidly charge her SUV at stations around the city.

But more people are springing for the at-home charger, and charge their EVs overnight.

"It's just the way the market is going," said Charles Fay, VP of Jayman Built.

Fay said consumer demand is what drove his company to begin future proofing garages in new homes with the requisite 220-volt outlet.

"It's much easier doing it when the home is under construction than renovating it afterward," said Fay.

But having the right outlet won't necessarily resolve potential electrical capacity issues, which vary depending on the age of the home.

"If they were to add that electric vehicle charger in and let's say they were to turn on their oven and the A/C kicked on, it could end up tripping their main breaker or overloading the conductors going out to the transformer," said Kevin Hartmetz, an electrician who installs EV chargers.

He says one solution is a load manager to regulate the current – an addition that can cost an extra couple of thousand dollars.

Another option is upgrading the utility to give your home 200 amps, but that would involve enlisting the utility service provider – a potentially costly endeavor, according to Hartmetz.

If you have overhead power it is cheaper, but with underground service in neighbourhoods across the city, Hartmetz says it's an expensive process.

"They would still have to trench and dig up all that wire. I've seen it anywhere from low 20s to $45,000. When you're looking at a cost identical to the car just to have charging in your home, it's not going to work out," said Hartmetz.

EPCOR recommends consulting with a qualified electrician to determine your home's capacity and whether it needs a power service upgrade, an option that may not be available to EV drivers that live in condos.

"Where I live, I don't even have access to a wall plug," said Christopher.

British Columbia offers rebates for people who install home EV chargers, but Alberta currently doesn't. The City of Edmonton had an EV charger rebate program but it ended earlier this year.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Dan Grummett