The City of Surrey is first major city in Canada to host a publicly accessible and free-to-use electric vehicle charging station at City Hall.
Mayor Dianne Watts and city council joined with community partners, including BC Hydro and Powertech, to open the facility and introduce the city’s first electric vehicle into its fleet.
“It’s important for governments to demonstrate leadership by advancing new technologies and building the transportation infrastructure of the future,” said Watts.
“We’re proud that Surrey is being recognized across the country as a leader in this regard. We are continuing to diversify our green fleet so we can promote and demonstrate new technology.”
The city is piloting the Nissan Leaf, which is 100 per cent electric and produces zero emissions, to assess performance and analyze data including cost savings, environmental impact and effectiveness.
The Leaf can drive 160 kilometers at a cost of two dollars per charge, and it’s estimated that it will cost about $300 a year to operate, compared to $2,200 for a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle.
The General Electric Level 2, commercial charging station will be available for the public to use free of charge.
“Electric vehicles can dramatically lower the costs for fleet operators, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Greg Reimer, Executive Vice-President, Transmission and Distribution at BC Hydro. “BC Hydro commends the work of the City of Surrey in moving forward with clean energy transportation options. We look forward to working with them as more public charging stations are installed to support the sustainable transportation needs of local residents.
“Powertech congratulates the City of Surrey on their first public EV installation,” said Kathy Nguyen, acting president and CEO at Powertech. “As a clean energy solution provider, Powertech continues to work closely with the city to help them achieve their EnergyShift goals.”