Though the City of Toronto publicly says it still plans to have 3,000 level-2 charging ports across the city by 2025, a new report proves that the city might not be taking this goal very seriously.
Toronto started the pilot project to launch on-street EV chargers in 2017, but it wasn’t until late 2020 that the city finally got all 17 total charging locations up and running. It should also be noted that only nine of these are for on-street parking, with other chargers placed in Green P (paid) parking lots.
These chargers aim to help Toronto residents that don’t have a driveway/garage charge their electric vehicles (EVs) overnight. The chargers supply level-2 charging speeds and are attached to hydro poles.
Level-2 speeds are decent for overnight charging and are typically what people install at their homes. You can get level-2 rates out of the same 140-volt outlet that most stoves plug into in Canada.
The Toronto chargers have a $3 flat fee for overnight use by people with valid street parking permits and an EV. During the day, the chargers can be rented for $2 per hour. This system is being tested to incentivize EV owners to charge overnight and leave the chargers clear for other people to use during the day.
However, this strategy doesn’t seem to be working. A Toronto Star report from 2021 mentions that this is likely because nine on-street chargers that take multiple hours to charge vehicles aren’t helping those interested in buying an EV feel more comfortable making the jump.
The city’s public goal for EV charger ports is 3,000 by 2025, and at this rate, it’s not even close.
Source: Toronto Star, Electric Autonomy Canada
