Summerland Sees Quadrupling of Electricity Delivered by Municipal EV Chargers Since 2020
Summerland, British Columbia, is experiencing a significant surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, according to recent data released by the municipality. The numbers reveal a substantial rise in the use of the town’s public EV charging stations since 2020.
Data presented in a report to the Summerland council by Odessa Cohen highlighted the impressive growth in the use of the community’s charging infrastructure. The statistics show increases across several key metrics, including charging sessions, revenue collected, and kilowatt-hours (kWh) delivered.
In 2020, Summerland’s charging stations provided 12,120.7 kWh of electricity during 1,109 charging sessions, with the municipality accruing a modest $19 in fees.
A dramatic shift occurred by 2024. In that year, the stations delivered four times more power – a remarkable 48,093 kWh – across 2,446 charging sessions. Consequently, the municipality’s revenue from these sessions jumped to $20,072.
The number of individual users also climbed, from 427 in 2023 to 833 in 2024.
Summerland currently offers 25 public charging stations, strategically located throughout the community. These stations comprise 19 Level 2 chargers and six Level 3, or fast chargers, which have seen a notable increase in demand.
The stations are situated in various locations, including the downtown west area, Lowertown, Memorial Park, Municipal Hall, and Turner Street Park. Memorial Park and the downtown west area are the most heavily utilized locations for charging.
Summerland’s initial foray into EV charging began in late April 2013. Three Level 2 charging stations were initially installed, and were offered without fees.
The town further expanded its charging infrastructure with the aid of two grants from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) awarded in 2019 and 2020. These grants facilitated the installation of an additional 22 charging stations, consisting of 16 Level 2 and six Level 3 chargers.
Cohen noted that these charging stations, financed with funds from the federal and provincial governments alongside the municipality, are crucial to meeting the federal goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Summerland’s own emission reduction target is a significant 80% decrease by 2050, and the charging stations are integral to this plan as well. The charging stations also support the federal target of 100% zero emission passenger vehicle sales by 2040.
