Acadia University proud to offer new fast electric vehicle charging station

WOLFVILLE, N.S.: As the network of charging stations grows, more people will feel confident purchasing electric vehicles, reducing the community’s carbon footprint.

Perhaps the greatest endorsement for the new electric vehicle charging station at Acadia University in Wolfville was the person who pulled up in a Tesla looking to make use of it in the middle of a Oct. 9 funding announcement.

The project came about because of a 2018 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Acadia University, the Acadia Students’ Union and the Town of Wolfville. This called for cooperation on the installation of infrastructure to enable the expansion of the electric vehicle charging network in the community in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.

The small gathering for the project announcement was the first public event held on the Acadia campus since the COVID-19 lockdown began in March. Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois announced $50,000 in federal funding for the project from the Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative on behalf of Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan.

A sustainable future

Acadia University President Dr. Peter Ricketts said the electric vehicle charging station represents the future. He said we have an opportunity to think about moving forward in a way that is different from how we practiced things before, even back in March. The university has introduced a new strategic plan that will soon be launched.

“This charging station is one example of the very powerful environmental and sustainability thrust that is in our strategic plan,” Ricketts said, pointing out that this is something that students, faculty and the broader community have asked for.

Ricketts said he believes the difference that we’re going to make now and how we shape the future is going to be “a moment in time that no other generation has actually had.” People are beginning to realize that we live in a global world and global change affects us. We need to be making a contribution that’s going to make the world change in a different way.

Acadia Students’ Union sustainability representative Alex Surette said he is excited about the new charging station. He believes the lack of charging stations, especially in small towns and rural areas, is hindering people from investing in electric cars.

“Before, without the infrastructure, it wouldn’t be accessible for people to use their electric cars, especially in the Town of Wolfville,” Surette said. “But now, with the infrastructure, we’re hoping that will promote more sustainable transportation.”

Acadia University sustainability co-ordinator Jodie Noiles said the charging station is part of the university’s sustainability plan with regard to transportation. They are trying to promote alternative modes of transportation that reduce the university’s carbon emissions.

“Promoting electric vehicles by enabling charging infrastructure in the community and on campus is an important part of that goal,” Noiles said.

The charging station is located in the parking lot of the Acadia Athletics Complex and is available for public use. Although this is the first fast charging station of its kind in Wolfville, Nova Scotia Power has installed more across the province.

Noiles said this is a critical piece in promoting the viability and feasibility of owning an electric car and facilitating travel.

“The fast charger especially is a convenient option for people because it doesn’t take as long to charge,” she said.

An electric vehicle with a low battery can be fully charged in less than 30 minutes using the fast charger, known as a level 3 charger, compared to one to three hours with a level 2 charger. The SMART DC-V2 Fast Charger was supplied by AddENERGIE, a Canadian company based in Quebec, and their network provider FLO.

What they said

The investment supports the federal government’s goal to have 100 per cent of passenger vehicle sales being zero-emission vehicles by 2040. Blois said transportation still represents almost 30 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions in Nova Scotia. Although relatively small, investments in projects such as the car charger at Acadia help move the province in the right direction in terms of reducing these emissions.

“I just want to applaud the university and the Town of Wolfville for its contribution and collaboration on this,” Blois said. “I know that this is an important priority for not just the university but for people across Kings County.”

Kings-South MLA Keith Irving said what we have now with regard to the climate crisis is momentum as the younger generation has picked up the torch and is demanding action from government. He said the project at Acadia represents another incremental step toward addressing the climate change emergency.

Wolfville Mayor Jeff Cantwell said that, in order to continue making a significant impact, we need bigger investment in green and renewable energy at higher levels of government and by larger corporations as Nova Scotia continues to be a fossil fuel burner.

He said almost 20 per cent of Wolfville’s greenhouse gas emissions result from transportation, with the majority of those emissions coming from trips taken in town. However, citizens are keen to do their part to fight climate change and reduce emissions.

“Electric vehicles have tremendous potential to be part of the solution to reduce transportation-related GHG’s,” Cantwell said.

Kirk.starratt@saltwire.com

Kings South MLA Keith Irving. KIRK STARRATT

Source: thechronicleherald