On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging Station

About the city. In 2019, the Toronto City Council voted unanimously to declare a climate emergency and adopted a stronger emissions reduction goal: net-zero by 2050 or earlier. The EV charging station pilot is one of many initiatives that will help the city achieve this goal.

Goal

The aim of the project is to make it easier for residents of Toronto to become environmentally friendly and to reduce carbon footprint.

Implementation period. The pilot was launched in November 2020.

Fact

In 2018, more than 6,200 EVs were registered in Toronto, compared to just 1,600 EVs in 2016, and this number continues to grow. In a survey conducted in preparation for the pilot project, 71% of residents who participated in it are likely to purchase electric vehicles in the next five years, and even more said they would consider purchasing electric vehicles if charging stations were available.

Solutions

In a new 12-month pilot project delivered in partnership with Toronto Hydro, 17 EV on-street charging stations are installed and activated for public use in locations across the city.

The charging station’s parking spots are open to all owners of electric vehicles with a “Level 2” connection on their vehicle. At night, when parking permits are in effect, only permit holders with an electric vehicle that is actively being charged can park in these spots. Users will be charged for charging their electric vehicle. Toronto Hydro, in agreement with the city of Toronto, has set electric vehicle charging rates that compete with the cost of other public charging stations in Toronto.

To use these stations, EV drivers can quickly create an account online with FLO, Canada’s largest EV charging network. After registration, users can download the app and order a FLO card, which they will use to activate the station and charge their car.

The locations were chosen because they have sufficient capacity for dedicated EV parking spots, making it easy to install them with minimal interference to pedestrians and the community. A total of 11 residential parking spaces in three city districts were allocated for use by electric vehicles that are charging.

Team

The City of Toronto, Toronto Hydro

Timeline

On-street stations have been installed and activated at the following parking permit locations:

• Alton Avenue near Queen Street East (2 charging stations)
• Bowmore Road near Eastwood Road (1 charging station)
• Mountjoy Avenue near Gillard Avenue (2 charging stations)
• Palmerston Avenue near Queen Street West (2 charging stations)
• Shaw Street near Dundas Street West (2 charging stations)
• Westlake Avenue near Oakcrest Avenue (2 charging stations)

New stations have also been installed and activated at three other locations, including two downtown sites:

• Commissioners Street near Carlaw Avenue (2 charging stations)
• Elizabeth Street near Foster Place (2 charging stations)
• Wellington Street West near Clarence Square (2 charging stations)

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