‘A bit of a bumpy start’ as EV drivers welcome new Sackville fast charger
Downtown Sackville has a new fast EV charger. The FLO brand charger which is connected to NB Power’s eCharge network went live on September 21 in the parking lot between the post office and Goya’s Pizza in downtown Sackville. About 25 different EVs have successfully charge since then, says Corporate Services Director Kieran Miller. Unfortunately, roughly 25 other potential users were unable to connect to the charger. Miller says the project has “had a bit of bumpy start” with reported errors from some users, but the town is “working with FLO to get those issues resolved.”
“It’s a bit of a mix of people having an issue versus people being able to successfully charge,” says Miller. “It’s definitely new technology for us, so there’ll be some growing pains as we onboard it.” Miller says she hopes users will be patient, and inform the town if they encounter any issues.
People connecting to the charger will pay for their charge through the NB Power eCharge network, but the charger is owned by Tantramar, and so net revenue, after covering the cost of the power, will come to the town. Tantramar set the rate at $15 per hour of charging, the same rate used at other eCharge network chargers.
Miller says that usage data available to the town doesn’t show where drivers are coming from, but at least one of the potential users is a local EV owner who met with CHMA downtown to talk about the charger and his experience owning an EV:
Sackville resident Lucas Morneau has owned his EV since 2022, and unlike many EV owners, does not have his own home charger, instead relying on public charging networks including DC fast chargers like the one just installed downtown, and level 2 chargers like the one Sackville installed at the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in 2014.… Continue
Third time’s a charm for Sackville’s new fast EV charger, even with Ward 4 candidates opposed on issue
Earlier this month, in one of its final votes ever, Sackville Town Council approved a project that will see electrical upgrades and the installation of an EV charger in its downtown parking lot between Goya’s Pizza and the post office. In the process, two candidates for a seat in the new town of Tantramar’s Ward 4 faced off with opposing views on the town’s EV infrastructure strategy.
This is actually the third time Sackville Town Council has approved the EV charger project. It first came up a year ago in budget deliberations when councillors agreed to set aside $108,000 for the project. Then this summer, council approved three motions that authorized staff to purchase the EV charger, to hire Tantramar Electric to do about $100,000 in upgrades, and to pursue funding to help pay for the project. At the time, three councillors voted against the project, Ken Hicks, Bruce Phinney, and Matt Estabrooks.
The project came back to council this month due to cost increases that came about in the six months it took to get outside grants approved. As treasurer Mike Beal explained to councillors, when the contractor, Tantramar Electric, took a fresh look at the parts cost for the project, they found significant increases. “We all know what inflation has done,” said Beal. “The contractor of course could not hold his price for the nearly six months it took [for grant approvals].”… Continue
Council okays downtown EV charger project, with three nay votes
Town council has given the green light on plans to install an EV charger in downtown Sackville, in the parking lot between Goya’s Pizza and the Post Office. Three motions authorizing staff to seek funding, purchase a charger, and have electrical infrastructure installed passed on Tuesday night, with three councillors voting against all three motions.
The project involves hiring local company Tantramar Electric to install infrastructure downtown that can accommodate a number of chargers, and the purchase of a level 3 Flo Charger to operate as part of NP Power’s E-charge network. Unlike the free level 2 charger at the Sackville Visitor Information Centre, people using the new charger would pay for their electricity via a smartphone app or e-charge account.
Climate Change coordinator Kirsty Mrazek told council last week that advantages to the e-charge network includes access to advertising, customer service, and a payment management system. The Flo is a fast charger, which means people will be able to get a significant “fill up” in about 30 minutes.
Mrazek told council the project would encourage EV drivers to stop in Sackville while on longer drives, bringing them close to “downtown amenities such as restaurants, stores, parking lots, or public washrooms and parks.” A fast charger would also serve local EV drivers, said Mrazek, “especially those living in multi unit residential buildings who are looking to drive an EV but do not have access currently to overnight charging infrastructure.”… Continue