Nova Scotia Power and Emera gathered with project partners and electric vehicle owners in Elmsdale today to celebrate the “first charge” of Nova Scotia’s new electric vehicle fast-charging network.

“Connecting our province end-to-end with EV infrastructure is a significant step toward achieving a lower carbon future driven by electrification,” said Karen Hutt, President & CEO of Nova Scotia Power. “Nova Scotia Power is focused on providing our customers with innovative energy solutions that meet their needs and help the environment.”

Emera Inc., Nova Scotia Power’s parent-company, is funding the EV charging network which promotes the use of vehicles powered by cleaner energy and aligns with similar initiatives being implemented across Emera’s operating companies.

“At Emera, innovation is at the core of everything we do and we believe in making investments that strengthen the communities where we live and work,” said Scott Balfour, President & CEO of Emera. “This investment in electric vehicle infrastructure is a great example of working together with partners to achieve a more sustainable energy future in Nova Scotia.”

The 12 EV fast-chargers are strategically located to enable EV drivers to travel across the province with ease. The location sites were selected based on a number of criteria including proximity to a 100-series highway, each located approximately 65 kilometres apart. The locations are:

Yarmouth, Shell Digby, Sobeys Coldbrook, Sobeys Fast Fuel Shelburne, Sobeys Fast Fuel Liverpool, Sobeys Bridgewater, Best Western

Elmsdale, Sobeys Debert, Masstown Market Stellarton, Sobeys Fast Fuel Monastery, PetroCan Baddeck, Lynwood Inn North Sydney, Sobeys

The 12 Level-3 fast chargers were constructed with funding support totaling $600,000 from Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative. The Honourable Scott Brison, MP for Kings-Hants and President of the Treasury Board, attended today’s announcement on behalf of Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr.

“The people of Nova Scotia, and those who visit our province, deserve more options when it comes to travel in electric vehicles, which is why we’re helping to create this provincial network of charging stations. The energy and technologies we adopt today will not only determine the mix of vehicles on our roads tomorrow, they will help to create more jobs and a greener future for our children and grandchildren,” said Brison.

Further contributing to this EV charging infrastructure, the Government of Nova Scotia has installed an additional 12 Level 2 chargers at the same locations. These chargers will provide a charging solution for plug-in hybrid vehicles that are unable to charge using the Level 3 chargers.

For EV drivers considering a road trip, Nova Scotia Power announced the network operator, FLO, will award a FLO Home X5 residential charging station for the first EV driver to visit all 12 locations. EV drivers are encouraged to visit www.nspower.ca/EVroadtrip for contest rules and regulations.

About the network 

• Nova Scotia Power’s EV fast-charging network addresses the lack of high-speed charging stations, which is a primary inhibitor to Nova Scotians adopting electric vehicles. This effort is part of a larger initiative to build a coast-to-coast network of electric vehicle charging stations across Canada; natural gas refueling stations along key freight corridors; and hydrogen refueling stations in key metropolitan areas.

• The Level 3 fast-chargers charge an electric vehicle in 15-30 minutes, at a cost of $3.75 per 15-minute session.
• The charging stations are manufactured by AddEnergie, a North American leader in EV charging solutions, and are connected to AddEnergie’s FLO Network, Canada’s largest EV charging network. The FLO Network provides access to thousands of public charging stations from coast to coast, including those of its partner networks such as the eCharge Network (New Brunswick) and the Electric Circuit (Quebec).
• Using the free FLO mobile app, EV drivers can easily locate the charging stations, check their availability in real time, and pay for charging sessions.
• The network enables Nova Scotia Power to study the effects of electric vehicle fast chargers on the power system.

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Source: Media Release