As sales of electric vehicle continue to grow across North America, municipalities and utilities are taking action to turn Main Street into Electric Avenue. Vancouver, BC, for example, has mandated that 100% of parking stalls in new apartment and condominium buildings must have EV-ready charging infrastructure in place. Rental buildings can apply to have city-owned chargers installed for their residents’ use, with further support available through a provincial rebate program.

Read on to learn about the benefits of local investment in EV charging and other ways municipalities and utilities can support the transition to electrification. 

Green the City

Replacing gasoline-powered vehicles with EVs fights climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and is a critical part of municipal sustainability efforts. Highly fuel efficient, EVs don’t give off direct emissions, and the ecological footprint of producing them can be offset in less than two years of choosing green energy over gasoline.

Create New Revenue Streams

Public parking has long been a reliable source of income for municipalities of all sizes, with cities across North America generating millions of dollars in revenue from their parking operations. Public EV charging stations are poised to become another important source of income, creating stable revenue streams over the long-term that will more than offset start-up and maintenance costs.

Boost Local Businesses

Charging stations attract customers, lengthen the time spent in stores (known as “dwell times”), and provide other revenue-boosting opportunities. For example, Hypercharge’s stations can display full-colour ads and promotional messages that incentivise users to check out nearby retailers and other businesses.

Increase Charging Options

One of the biggest barriers to EV adoption is a lack of access to charging stations. Many EV owners—or would-be owners—park on the street or in multi-unit residential buildings that aren’t yet equipped with chargers. In addition to establishing regulations and incentives to promote charger installations, municipalities could install more chargers of their own. Public spaces that already offer parking are especially well-suited to EV charging, including parks, libraries, community centres, and arenas. Curbside charging has been introduced in cities across Northern Europe by swapping traditional parking meters for EV chargers.

Creative sharing solutions can also greatly expand charging options. For example, selected city-owned chargers could be reserved for municipal workers during their operating hours, but otherwise available to the public. Stations that charge city-operated fleets overnight could be made accessible to other users during the day.

Invest in Infrastructure

Both city-operated and private fleets have much to gain by going electric; however, getting a large number of vehicles road-ready requires a robust local power supply and management strategy. In some areas, inadequate power supply can limit the types of charging stations that may be installed or prevent stations from functioning at their full capacity.

Municipalities and utilities have a critical role to play in ensuring a site’s electrical infrastructure and power supply can meet rapidly increasing demand. Hypercharge has the hands-on experience to make the most of existing infrastructure; help operators, local governments, and utilities identify and manage load patterns to reduce strain on the electrical grid; and advise on upgrades and future investment.

Partner with Hypercharge

In addition to first-rate electrical expertise, Hypercharge offers industry-leading, customizable hardware and software solutions and proactive support services. Our fully integrated station operating platform allows municipal managers to control access to chargers, monitor stations remotely, and collect important data about how and when the stations are being used. Particularly useful for pilot projects, this data can inform long-term planning for the expansion of workplace, fleet, and public charging stations.

We’re ready to serve your community. Let’s discuss how Hypercharge can design, deliver, and manage an EV charging strategy that meets your unique local needs.