WESTLOCK — All three electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed by the Town of Westlock are now operational and available for use, with the Level Three Fast Charger at the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre costing $20 per hour and the Level Two chargers at the Heritage Building and Westlock Aquatic Centre costing $2 per hour.
Last week, the Town of Westlock issued a press release announcing the successful completion of its EV chargers project, which has been in the works since the fall of 2022.
The three chargers were actually installed in July and were expected to be up and running, but Town of Westlock chief administrative officer Simone Wiley indicated there had been a delay in getting them operational relating to the software required to collect payments.
As noted in the release, the locations of the three chargers were not just selected for function, but to enhance the community experience.
“Selecting these sites was driven by our goal to make EV charging convenient and to encourage visitors to explore our vibrant recreational spaces, municipal library and bustling downtown,” said Wiley.
Level 2 chargers like the ones at the Heritage Building and Aquatic Centre can take between five to 10 hours to charge up an EV, while the Level 3 charger at the Spirit Centre can do so in about an hour.
Wiley indicated in an e-mail that owners of electric vehicles must download a phone application in order to use the chargers, and the payments are made through the app.
The installation of these chargers was facilitated through a $140,000 grant awarded by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC) through its Electric Vehicle Charging Program.
“MCCAC is an invaluable partner, and our collaborations with them on past projects have been very successful. We were grateful for the opportunity to work with them again on the Electric Vehicle Charging Program,” said Wiley.
In addition to the MCCAC’s grant, the town also allocated $51,433 from general operating reserves and $1,567 from a corporate contribution towards the project.
