Of the 660 new Level 2 chargers, 634 will go into MURBs and the remaining 26 will be installed across the province

Nova Scotia is installing 660 new Level 2 EV chargers in a $31-million deal with the federal government.

The announcement, made this month, lays out a plan that awards $3,054,725 million to Polycorp Group of Companies and $95,596 to 292 Main Street Developments Ltd., both local property developers.

Polycorp will use the funds to install 634 Level 2 chargers in nine of its multi-unit residential buildings; and 292 Main Street Developments will install 26 Level 2s across Nova Scotia in as yet undisclosed locations.

“Today’s investment is an important one for ensuring access to reliable EV charging infrastructure outside of major urban centres. I know the investment will help contribute to the further uptake of zero-emission vehicles in communities across East Hants,” said member of parliament for Kings–Hants, Kody Blois, in press materials.

(The announcement was made in Wolfville N.S., roughly an hour north of Halifax, in the Hants County.)

The chargers will be in service by December.

Charging landscape in Nova Scotia

Of all the Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia has the most dense charger coverage. As of January 2023, there were roughly 200 public EV chargers in the province. Over 1,900 EVs are registered, according to Nova Scotia Power.

However, as previously reported on by Electric Autonomy, access to fast public EV charging in Nova Scotia is inconsistent. Especially on the Cape Breton Peninsula between Antigonish and Sydney and in the southern region of the province from Bridgewater to Yarmouth.

An influx of 26 new public EV chargers will help fill in some of the gaps in the province’s network. However, drivers looking for fast charging may feel disappointment.

The new chargers are identified as “Level 2,” but the actual charging speeds for the public stations are not specified. There also do not appear to be uptime conditions with the funding to ensure charger reliability.

A new car-sharing program

In addition to providing EV chargers, 292 Main Street Developments is going to offer a new EV car-sharing program. According to the company, this program will be at its Latitude 45 Suites building in Wolfville.

“This car-sharing program offers net-zero mobility benefits and a reduced cost of transportation on an as-needed basis,” said Kevin Gildart, president of 292 Main Street Developments.

The company did not disclose when the ride-sharing program will be available or the locations of their 26 chargers.