As the popularity of electric vehicles (EV’s) increases at a rapid rate across Canada, and in particular in British Columbia, the rules around the fees incurred while charging your EV have not kept up.
It is the rule that EV stations are only allowed to charge based on the amount of time your car is plugged in that a Vancouver strata board is hoping to change.
The strata board is calling on Measurement Canada, which is under the watch of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, to update the rules so that EV owners are instead billed for the amount of electricity used.
The strata council president, Bill Bradley, says the rules make no sense, especially now that EV’s are so popular.
“You would never go to a gas station and pay based on the time you spent at the gas station. That’s just absurd. You pay for the amount of gas that you pump into your vehicle and electricity is no different.“
Compounding the issue is that different EV’s charge at different rates, meaning two EV’s can be charging for the same amount of time, but one could get substantially more electricity.
Not only that, but the amount of electricity that flows into your EV will differ depending on your state of charge. Your charging rate will drop considerably between 80%-100%, meaning more time spent plugged in for less electricity.
Measurement Canada appears to be dragging their feet, and not taking the lead in the development of rules that would allow fees based on the amount of electricity used.
In a statement to CBC, Measurement Canada says it is following the issue, and monitoring what other jurisdictions are doing.
“The agency is participating in an international working group developing requirements for when EV charging stations begin to charge on the basis of measurement, and monitoring similar work in other jurisdictions such as in the U.S.”
Until new rules are put in place, the unfair practice of charging by the minute will continue, and local stratas that install EV chargers will have to wait for changes from Measurement Canada.
