Four electric vehicle charging stations are now stationed at Nanaimo airport and free to use through July 2. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

CHARGE UP

Free, fast-charge EV stations go green at Nanaimo Airport

Feb 2, 2021 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO — Four new, free electric vehicle charging stations are operational at Nanaimo Airport.

Two stations were installed recently in the main parking lot outside the terminal building. A further two are located in the rental car area.

Dave Devana, Nanaimo Airport CEO, told NanaimoNewsNOW their location along Hwy. 1 played a big role on receiving the infrastructure.

“We’re on the busiest section of the highway with about 25,000 customers coming by every day and many of our customers here at the airport have electric vehicles or are wanting to move to electric vehicles.”

Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative provided $200,000 in funding. The province added an extra $100,000 through their CleanBC program.

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Nanaimo Airport chipped in the remaining $100,000 to complete the project.

The high-powered stations are free to use until July 2, at which point the airport will decide on how to proceed with them.

“We want to provide people an opportunity to use these stations and know they’re here,” Devana said. “You can fully charge your vehicle in one hour, which for most of these electric vehicles will take them for a range of around 400 kilometres.”

According to PlugShare.com, a map showing electric vehicle charging stations, there are only a handful of high-capacity charging stations currently available on the mid-Island.

The province recently announced further incentives for local governments to go green through their fleet of vehicles.

Increased rebates were promised for a limited time for the purchase and installation of level two charging stations. Discounts are also available for the purchase of vehicles for a fleet.

The City of Nanaimo has nine electric vehicles in its fleet including five recently added over Christmas. The City also operates two hybrid vehicles.

The Regional District of Nanaimo has two electric vehicles and four hybrids in their fleet.

In September 2020, the Regional District coordinated with nearly a dozen Island municipalities to install 28 new EV stations across the mid-Island, including 10 in the RDN.

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alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW