Drivers of electric vehicles will now be able to charge up in Mission.
Council has approved spending $72,200 to purchase and install three electric-vehicle charging stations in the district.
The stations will be located in downtown Mission (by the Welton Building), at the Mission Leisure Centre and at city hall.
The intention to purchase the Level Two Chargers – which can take up to four hours to fully charge a vehicle – was initially made public at a council meeting in June. Staff have now reviewed the pricing and technical aspects and are recommending council move forward with the purchase.
Currently, the district has no electric-vehicle charging stations while other surrounding communities have several.
Abbotsford leads the way with 15 charging stations, while Langley Township has 12, Coquitlam has 11 and Chilliwack has 10. Harrison Hot Springs and Hope have five each, while Maple Ridge has four.
According to the staff report, the three locations for the chargers were picked for a variety of reasons.
The Welton Building location supports residents using the West Coast Express and other transit, and also supports local businesses, residents, and tourists visiting the downtown.
The Mission Leisure Centre location supports visitors and residents using the centre, particularly during events such as hockey tournaments.
The city hall location supports both visitor and staff use of electric vehicles.
Each station will require that two reserved parking spots be allocated for charging purposes.
Coun. Rhett Nicholson questioned whether city hall was the appropriate location for a charger, suggesting a busier location, such as the Junction Mall, might be more appropriate.
Barry Azevedo, the district’s manager of environmental services, said the city hall charger would be used by visitors as well as staff and fleet vehicles. He said some fleet vehicles, such as inspectors’ cars, will likely be replaced with electric vehicles.
Mayor Randy Hawes suggested that if more chargers were to be installed in the future, then the Mission Visitor Centre would be a possible location as well.
