Electric vehicle chargers to be installed at most ONroute rest stops by summer

The Province of Ontario is teaming up with the Ivy Charging Network, ONroute and Canadian Tire to bring electric vehicle charging stations to all of its highway stops.

Many of the province's 70,000 electric vehicle owners are excited about the move.

Mike O'Neil was charging his car in Barrie Wednesday afternoon and said the news was fantastic.

"That's exactly what I like to see for sure. Everything about it is so convenient, and just adding more charging stations will make it even easier for everyone," O'Neil said.

Energy Minister Todd Smith and Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney  made the announcement at the ONroute in King Township while showing off the new system.

"One of the most common concerns we hear from drivers that are looking to make the switch to electric vehicles is where will they be able to charge up during a long road trip?" Mulroney mentioned.

Eventually, there will be 23 charging stations built along the two main highways.

The province estimates one million electric vehicles will travel on Ontario roads by the end of the decade.

Karen Murray is on her second electric vehicle and said it's "fairly easy" to find a charging station. "But you learn to plan your routes and when you're going to stop and how you're going to charge. It's kind of a learning process," Murray said.

The Ivy Charging Network said customers would need to download an app for payment and availability. It added it would take about 30 minutes to charge up to 150 kilometres of charge.

"It's 30-cents a minute for charging, and so you know for an approximate session of 30 minutes of length, it's going to be about nine dollars," explained Matt Vines, co-president of the Ivy Charging Network.

Seventeen of the 20 new charging stations are expected to be operational by summer, with the remaining by the end of next year.

Each ONroute will have at least two charging stations when they are installed.