For electric vehicle (EV) owners in Canada, the amount you pay for a ‘fill-up’ at a public EV charger isn’t always equitable. The reason is the requirement by Measurement Canada that EV charging stations can only bill customers based on the length of time they are plugged in.
Originally intended to ensure EV owners don’t stay plugged in for longer than necessary, the rule leads to some owners paying more for the same amount of energy if their car can’t charge as quickly as others.
To help fix the issue and push for a fairer billing system based on the amount of energy consumed, Tesla launched a campaign earlier this year that encouraged Canadians to send a letter to Measurement Canada.
It appears those efforts, and the efforts of EV associations and clubs across Canada have paid off as Measurement Canada has announced an upcoming change to the way EV drivers will be billed.
According to an update posted to Measurement Canada’s website, they will be working with industry over the next 18 months to transition EV charging stations to charge based on the amount of energy consumed.
“In the next 18 months, we expect to allow existing and new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that meet established technical standards to charge based on kilowatt-hours (kWh) consumed. We will do this by continuing to work closely with industry and monitoring requirements other countries are developing, as well as advances and innovations in EV charging station technologies. The requirements will be performance-based to minimize costs and regulatory burden for EV charging station operators, while ensuring consumers receive accurate and reliable measurement, and protection against unfair practices.”
Tesla has also posted an update on their website, saying that while there is still work to be done, this is a step in the right direction.
“Enabling kWh-billing for EV charging will provide more transparent pricing and ensure that EV drivers are not penalized for slower charging sessions. There is still a lot to be done, but we are pleased to learn that Measurement Canada has begun the process to implement new metering rules for EV charging technologies.”
Currently in Canada, Tesla charges fees at two different tiers based on a couple of different factors:
- Tier 1 applies while cars are charging at or below 60 kW and tier 2 applies while cars are charging above 60 kW. Tier 1 is half the cost of tier 2.
- Tier 1 also applies anytime your vehicle is sharing Supercharger power with another car.
