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Surrey’s electric-vehicle charging network nears 100 stations

Cost of gas key reason for switch to electric transportation: survey
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The City of Surrey says 16 more electric-vehicle charging stations will be added to its network by the end of this year. (City of Surrey photo)

The City of Surrey is on track to have nearly 100 electric-vehicle charging stations by the end of this year.

According to a news release issued March 10, use of the city’s network has grown alongside an exponential growth in electric-vehicle ownership – which has increased by 2,250 per cent between 2016 and 2021 (to 7,354 from 313).

The city’s first half-dozen charging ports were installed in 2013. In 2021, there were more than 61,000 charging sessions across its network, the release states.

In the same time period, energy dispensed through the city’s network grew by more than 15,000 per cent.

Last fall, council approved new fees for use of the charging stations.

READ ALSO: Surrey council sets new EV charging user fees

Mayor Doug McCallum said the city “is working towards building the largest public charging network in B.C.”

“It’s a key means of achieving our Climate Action Strategy objectives,” McCallum said in the release.

“In Surrey, passenger vehicles are responsible for 39% of emissions, which is why Council adopted the Electric Vehicle Strategy in 2021 to accelerate and expand EV use in the City. We’re seeing people rely on the public network more and more. The growth of the public charging network is crucial in encouraging more people to go electric.”

The city currently has 81 charging stations, 50 of which are for public use. Of those, nine are located in South Surrey; at the South Surrey Recreation Centre, Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, Ocean Park Library, The Glades and the South Surrey Operations Centre.

Another 16 ports are scheduled for installation this year.

The city also aims to convert 100 per cent of its municipal fleet to zero-emission vehicles, to help achieve its zero corporate GHG emissions target.

Surrey’s Electric Vehicle Strategy has required EV-charging infrastructure in all new developments since 2019.

In a City of Surrey poll conducted last year, respondents said paying for gas was the highest motivating factor in making the switch to electric, the release continues. The survey sought input from both EV and non-EV owners, receiving 1,731 responses.

Reducing impact on the environment was another key reason identified by both EV and non-EV owners.



tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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