Why I Don't Use My City's Fast Chargers

This first picture is my EV, Kimchi, charging. I took this photo in June when we were doing our grocery shopping. I have done this nearly every single time I've charged this summer. The DC chargers are the property of BC Hydro, our province's electrical generating and distribution network. I pay CAD 0.21 a minute to connect, so I usually put in $7 or $8 of power. I have no idea what half a tank of gasoline would cost for a comparable vehicle, except that it'd be far, far more. 

EVs are clean, efficient, and fun to drive. There's something about having all that maximum torque available at zero RPM!  Charging up, while shopping, works well, except that I often have to run out to disconnect before we have finished our item checkout.

  BC Hydro DC Chargers - At Our Coquitlam Superstore

I'd love to charge my EV in my own city.  I know that my building will not provide this option.  Due to historical and political reasons, the city of New Westminster, BC has its own power company.  Power is purchased from BC Hydro and distributed on our own network.  Several years ago, New Westminster was encouraging the use of electric vehicles. A set of DC chargers was set up near the skate park in Queen's Park. 

We returned home this spring to pricing that is effectively 22% more costly than alternatives.  It would cost me CA$0.27 per minute below.  We spend a lot of time enjoying Queen's Park and it'd be fairly convenient to charge there. However, as it is not as cost-effective, I don't. 

It's a shame, really. I wrote to city engineering, but they're not considering a price change until 2022. By then, habits will be set. There can be no quick cost recovery benefits on equipment if use isn't maximized.

 

A WA State Vehicle DC Charging at New Westminster's Queen's Park