Three electric vehicle charging stations are currently being installed in Calgary, Red Deer and greater Edmonton, creating the province’s first charging corridor.
ATCO partnered with charging provider FLO to launch the project, which is building the stations at Canadian Tire Gas+ stations. The charging stations, located near Highway 2, are expected to be operational in early 2018.
The project is supported by the federal government through Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative, a $62.5-million federal commitment made in Budget 2016 to fund new fast-charging infrastructure for EV charging stations along key transportation corridors in Canada.
There are currently more than 1,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered in Alberta, making it the fourth-largest EV fleet among Canadian provinces after Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, ATCO says.
"The availability of reliable charging infrastructure is a key factor in driving electric vehicle adoption," FLO CEO Louis Tremblay said in a statement.
“Although the EV market is still small in Alberta, the development of a charging network is a strong catalyst to support electric mobility, by making short and long-distance travel easier and reducing range anxiety."
