Smithers electric vehicle (EV) owners will soon have to pay to use town-owned charging stations.
Fees will be mandatory for electric vehicle users at the 3743 2nd Ave. charging ports in order to reduce emissions targets defined by the Town and Province.
A higher-than-expected volume of EV users accessing the stations means that fees will be introduced for regular upkeep.
“I still feel like we as a society have to find a way also for electric vehicles to pay their share of the cost, I often think of whenever I fill up my hybrid vehicle, a good portion of the gas cost goes towards road tax,” explained Coun. John Buikema. “There is no road tax being paid by electric vehicles.”
In 2017, the Town of Smithers installed a dual-port Charge Point Level 2 EV station in the parking lot located on 2nd Ave. Upon initial installation, there was no charge for usage. Staff agreed to support free-use of the stations, as long as energy consumption fees at the station didn’t exceed $1,000 to $1,500 per year.
During a recent review that evaluated energy use from BC Hydro, Jaima Timler, climate action specialist for Smithers found fees were $1,714.21 from Oct. 6, 2022 to Oct. 3, 2023.
This review was based on data from the existing dual-port charging station. Usage is expected to increase, as an additional dual-port station was installed in October.
In a report to council, Timler recommended EV charging rates be implemented at $1.50/hour, to cover energy and maintenance costs.
“It is recognized throughout B.C. municipalities that charging a moderate fee at public charging stations is best practice to recuperate costs of the electricity supply and maintenance of the charging equipment, provide a revenue stream for network expansion opportunities, and to improve user experience,” explained Timler in the review.
At a recent meeting, council motioned to make amendments to the recommendation, voting for a $2/hour fee that will cover a portion of replacement costs in addition to energy ]and maintenance.
“I don’t think the average user is going to care for that 50¢ extra an hour,” explained Coun. Frank Wray. “I’m actually very pleased to see that it only takes 50¢ more an hour to go towards replacing it as well.”
“Two dollars an hour is pretty cheap, if I go to fill my gas tank it’s a lot more than $2,” said Coun. Calvin Elliot.
Timler also recommended charging an overstay rate of $2/hour that will apply to vehicles that exceed the 40-minute window allotted to each charging station. Within the 12-month test period, 505 overstay hours were logged at the existing station.
“A small fee will disincentivize users from overstaying their required charge time and allow more users to access the stations,” explained Timler.
Director of Development Services Mark Allen suggested the overstay fee be amended to $2.50, to which council agreed unanimously.
“It’s meant to be a bit of a penalty for leaving the vehicle in place after it’s charged, because it does prevent other users from using the charging station,” explained Allen.
The new fees will only take effect when council adopts an amended bylaw for which no timeline was given.
“Until it’s part of a fees and charges bylaw, nothing will happen in terms of revenue generation,” explained Director of Finance William Wallace.
